Two Doors Down
by xXPaintingRealityXx
Summary: Being the new kid, how will Natsume manage? Through all the drama at school and at home, will his life ever be 'normal? And what are his chances of love? Enter two peoples lives to see drama, romance, friendship, and somewhat humor!I changed my pen name!
1. Chapter 1

Hey! I know what you all are thinking: she's back with another fan fic! Well, heck yeah I am! I was just inspired to write some more! I have a book of stories to create anyways just like I have a book of songs I make up. So, I decided, what the heck? I might as well. So….. here's my newest story to Fanfiction! I hope you like it! :D

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice! It and its characters belong to the incredible Tachibana Higuchi! You know I'd never be able to come up with something as good as that would you? Of course not! :D**

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 1~**

"Natsume! Are all you're bags ready?" I heard my mom call up to me.

Currently, I was standing in my room, my suitcase by the door. I messed up my already messy raven black hair as my crimson eyes scanned my deserted room. I sighed. I was going to miss this place.

"Yeah" I replied. Hesitantly, I grabbed my suitcase and headed out the door and down the stairs.

Mom ushered me into the car once I got down the stairs. My dad and sister, Misaki, were already in the car. I put my suitcase in the trunk and got in on the passenger side in the back. The car slowly pulled out of the driveway of my old home, starting the 'adventure' of being the 'new kids' as my parents had put it. In fact, I never wanted to leave. Oh well, life sucks. That's the way it is.

I guess you're wondering who I am. I'm Natsume Hyuuga. I have raven black hair and crimson red eyes. I usually keep my face looking like an emotionless void. I don't like to show emotion. It's a sign of weakness. I'm also what people would call a 'god'. I have god like features that makes every girl who looks at me fall in love with me. In fact, I think that I'm the hottest guy here in Japan. And I know that that fact is true. I know what you're thinking. You think I'm 'conceited' or 'arrogant'. But you're wrong. I'm just fully aware of what god has given me. And god has given me the 'looks'. So there you have it.

My dad's name is Ioran and my mother is Kaoru. My dad has silver hair and black eyes while my mom has raven black hair and crimson eyes like mine. My sister Misaki doesn't have any of our traits. Okay, maybe she has my moms face and my dad's smile, but her eye and hair color is way off. Her hair is a dark pink and so are her eyes. Misaki is 15 years old. You can't say that we are close, but you couldn't say that we never talk either. We have kind of a normal brother-sister relationship.

And the scenario you have witnessed earlier is the process of my family moving to Tokyo, Japan. My dad had a huge business promotion and he couldn't say no. Now, we have to move so that dad can do his work without being separated from the family for a long time. But the thing is I didn't want to move. I wanted to stay here in my home town, Osaka. I wanted to stay here. I wanted to stay here with my friends and the familiar faces that I have come to know…even though I don't talk to many of them. But I'm sure you get my point.

I sighed as I looked out of the window, watching the scenery pass by me. Why did I have to go? Haven't I suffered enough by having billions of fan girls chase me all the time? Apparently not.

"Oh, come on Natsume!" My mom said, trying to lift my spirits. Like that's ever gonna happen. "You never know, Tokyo might be fun!"

"Yeah" Misaki piped up. "It's a pretty big city so we can all go sightseeing and all that stuff! It'll be fun! Like a new adventure!"

"Whatever" I replied nonchalantly, still looking out the window.

"Cheer up sport" my dad said. "You know what? I heard that your friend Ruka Nogi is living in Tokyo right now. I heard he's going to a school called Gakuen Alice. And you're going there too you know?"

At that moment, I felt my mood lighten up just a bit even though I didn't let the emotion on my face. My childhood friend, Ruka Nogi, was going to be there. He had moved away about three years back. We still talk over the phone and IM and stuff, but it's not really awesome to have a friend you can't really hang out with every day. Maybe moving won't be so bad.

"Okay" I replied coolly, still being emotionless as ever.

I didn't really want anyone to see me give off emotion. Only Ruka had seen me smile and laugh before. He was my best friend so I knew I could trust him with anything. Now don't get me wrong, I also show emotions to my family sometimes. It's just that when you have a best friend who carries around a bunny who he had oh-so cleverly named 'bunny' and always had this 'prince' like attitude, or whatever the girls call it, wouldn't you laugh? Plus, he gets me. He knows how I think. So….yeah. He's my best friend. Got a problem with it?

Dad sighed and shook his head as he continued to drive. I was annoying him now? Fine by me. I continued to stare out the window, letting the minutes turn into hours that dragged by.

It was late afternoon when we pulled up into a house driveway. It was about…. 4 something. And by the looks of it, the house is ours for the taking. A moving truck was parked by the curb of the house and the front door was open and moving men were moving our things into the house.

"This is it" my dad sighed after he turned the car off. He turned around to see my sister and I. "So, what do you think?"

"Wow, it's pretty cool dad" Misaki said. "How'd you find the place?"

"It's a secret" my father dramatically answered, raising a finger to his lips. "What about you Natsume" he said, turning his attention to me.

"It's fine" I answered bluntly.

I guess I was kind of under exaggerating. The house looked awesome! It was white and had a blue roof with some blue railings. It was a Victorian style house with two floors. It had a porch with steps leading up to it and on the second story, I could see a circular window perched so that whoever was up there, could see exactly what was going on in the street. It had a big Sakura tree in the front, perfect for climbing. And since it was spring time, it was in full bloom.

Sighing and shaking his head, my dad got out of the car and went to the trunk. The rest of my family, including me, did the same. We all got our suitcases and started for the house. We walked up the pathway which was littered with Sakura petals to the front porch, also with Sakura petals all over it. I liked the way the house looked with the Sakura petals and their tree. It made everything look better.

When we got inside, I immediately saw the living room. To the left of the room, I saw a door leading to the kitchen and dining room areas. To the right, there was a staircase leading up to the bedrooms. And about a yard back from the staircase was a bathroom.

"This is beautiful Ioran" my mom said, gawking at what she saw.

"That's why I got this place" he replied. "Anyways, why don't you kids go and pick out your rooms? Just don't get the master bedroom. That's your mother and mine's."

I nodded and started up while Misaki said, "Alright!"

When I got upstairs, I looked into the first room. It was about a medium sized room. It had a round window that lit up the whole room. I'm pretty sure that it was the same one that I saw outside. The walls were white with a blue boarder at the top of the walls. The floor was regular wooden plank floors.

"I want this one" I said nonchalantly.

"That quick Natsume? Aww this one is cute!" My sister Misaki replied. "I wanted this one! I saw it from outside and I fell in love with it!" She said dramatically.

"Well too bad" I answered.

"Fine. I'll go and choose another one."

And with that, she left my room. I put my suitcase next to the closet which was on the right side of my room. It was in the far right corner. At the corner closer to the door, I saw a private bathroom complete with a shower and toilet with a sink. It was nothing fancy; the shower was the farthest back then the toilet and sink with a mirror and medicine cabinet. The shower was curtain less but I could just put in my own. I stood in the middle of my room and took a look around. I tried to picture where all of my things would go. It wasn't that hard.

When I finished picturing everything, my dad came in with a couple of moving men.

"Where do you want your bed, son" dad asked.

I pointed to the left corner of my room which was closest to the door. More moving men came in and I told them where to place everything; the bedside table next to my bed of course, my desk in the far left corner of my room, my bookshelf just underneath the window located in the center of the far wall. I went downstairs and grabbed the boxes of my stuff and brought it up to my room. I put my mangas and other books on my bookshelf and dressed my bed in its white and dark blue sheets, just like the blue boarders of paint on my bedroom walls. I put all of my pens and pencils and school stuff on my desk. I found a shower curtain that could go in the shower. It was red.

I put the lamp on the bedside table along with my digital alarm clock. I set it to the time: 5:07. When I was done putting all of my materials and stuff in my room, I put all of my clothes in the closet and set up my sink with the soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and all that kind of stuff. I put the shampoo and soap inside of the bathtub too. By the time I was finished, it was 5:33. The sun was low on the horizon but it didn't look as if it were going to set until about 6. I went downstairs and saw that my parents were decorating the living room.

"Oh, Natsume, are you done already?" Mom asked me, placing a framed photo on a small table beside the couch.

I nodded in reply, just standing by the staircase. Now what was I supposed to do?

"Why don't you explore the neighbor hood sport? Make some new friends?" dad asked.

Sighing, I replied, "Sure."

I walked to the front door, making sure I had my shoes on. Once I was sure, I said to my parents, "I'll be back in a few."

"Don't be out too long honey" my mother called after me.

"Okay."

I closed the door behind me, breathing in the sweet air. The scent of the Sakura tree was sweet. I made my way down the Sakura petal littered path to the sidewalk. I don't exactly know what I was looking for but I guess I can just go on a walk. Unconsciously, I made a left on the sidewalk, the opposite direction of the main entrance to the main neighborhood. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, not caring what was going to happen. I was just happy to explore a little while the sun was still out.

"Hey handsome."

Too bad it didn't last. I turned to the voice who said that and I found a girl with strawberry blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore a really short, light blue skirt and a pink tank top that showed off her 'cleavage'. In other words, she was a slut.

"I'm Luna Koizumi, your neighbor. It's nice to meet you" Luna said with her sickeningly sweet voice. It made me want to puke.

"Leave me alone, hag" I said. I turned away from her and started down the street once more.

"But don't you want a tour of the neighborhood?" she asked me.

She fluttered her eyelashes as she said this. My guess is that she's trying to flirt. And she's doing a horrible job at it.

"No" I answered her bluntly. I started down the sidewalk, AGAIN.

I heard her following me as I walked. Sighing, I said, "Would you leave me alone?"

I was beyond annoyed with this… this stalker! Why wasn't she leaving? Ugh, someone kill me now! I kept walking down the same street, letting its weaving road take me where it pleased. But that Koizumi girl kept on following me! I think it was about a mile when I finally snapped. Well, almost.

"U-uhh, Koizumi" I heard a soft, feminine voice say. It sounded like singing, except, she wasn't. "Your mother is looking for you."

I turned around and noticed Koizumi had done the same.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" Koizumi asked the girl harshly.

I couldn't see the girl completely because Koizumi was blocking the way. But, I could tell that she had flinched.

"Yeah, I can see that, but your mother says it's something 'important'" the girl replied in a polite tone.

"Fine" Koizumi huffed.

Koizumi made her way around the girl and towards her house. The girl had turned away and watched Koizumi leave so I couldn't see her face. I could only identify her other features.

She had creamy skin. It looked soft. I was sooo tempted to touch it. Her hair was a light brown and down to her waist. It was silky and tied up in two pig tails with ribbons. There were little curls at the ends of her hair. I'm pretty sure those were natural by the way they looked. And by the looks of it, she had bangs. She had the figure of an hourglass; all the right curves in the perfect places. Her hands looked really soft too. Her finger nails were perfect and I could tell that it was also natural.

The girl was wearing a blue jean skirt that went to mid thigh and a pink shirt. She had black ballet flats on here dainty feet. So, to top all of that information off, she was really, REALLY beautiful.

The girl sighed and shook her head, looking down to the ground. She took a deep breath and stood up strait. Suddenly, she turned around and looked at me. I think that she had forgotten about me because she had a sheepish grin on her face.

She had honey brown eyes which shone with happiness. Her facial features were perfect; she had a heart shaped face with perfect eyebrows, her lips were a beautiful pink, nice and plump. Actually, she was the definition of an angel.

"Sorry about that" she apologized, bowing. When she came back up, she had a smile adorning her face, making her look even more angelic than she had looked before. "I didn't mean to ruin your walk. You must be new here. My name is Mikan. Mikan Sakura."

I nodded to her, replying "I'm Natsume Hyuuga."

"Nice to meet you Hyuuga!" she said. "Well, I got to go! See you around!"

And with that, the beautiful girl twirled around gracefully and walked back down the sidewalk, holding her hands behind her back. I watched her until she disappeared from sight.

"You too….Mikan." The way her name rolled off of my tongue made it feel as if the two of us were made for each other. And the way she said my name made it sound like music to my ears. It gave me goosebumps.

I don't know how long I stood out there, but I suddenly decided to go back home. Once more, I shoved my hands into my pockets, shaking my head. Gosh, I feel like a love sick puppy. But I couldn't have possibly fallen for her can I? Of course not! That would be impossible.

Before I knew it, I was about two doors down from my house and it was getting dark. All the windows of the houses around me were being lit up by lamps and lights. Suddenly, I heard a door opening and I looked to my right. And what I saw made me want to smile. It was Mikan, the girl I had met earlier.

"I'll get it" she called into the house as she shut the door.

She elegantly made her way down her porch steps, not missing a beat. When she was off of the last step, she noticed me…staring. Oh, god why was I staring?

"Oh, hi" she smiled warmly at me.

I fought the urge to smile back, nodding instead.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked me, confusion etched on her face. I have to admit, she looked cute when she did that.

"What's it to you?" I asked her, my tone emotionless.

"Well, it's getting dark and you still haven't gotten to your house" she replied bluntly.

"Are you worrying for me now? Well, you don't have to. My house is that one" I told her, a smirk on my face. I pointed to the house two doors down from hers in the direction I was going.

"Well you should get home. I assume you're going to Gakuen Alice. There's school tomorrow so you should get some rest. You must have had a hard day" she told me, going to her mailbox and getting the mail out.

"Okay" I said bluntly.

"Well, good night" she gold me, waving. She went up her porch steps, opened the door, and stepped into the house. Before she closed the door, she gave me a small wave and smile. And then, the door hid her image from me.

Sighing, I made my way back to my house. When I got in, my parents and sister greeted me. They had somehow set up the whole house with the furniture in the hour that I had left. We ate in the dining room and when we were done, I headed upstairs to my room. I took a shower and dressed up into black sweat pants, not caring if I didn't have a shirt or not. I brushed my teeth and got into bed.

I stared up at the ceiling, tracing the patterns in it with my eyes. Suddenly, a vision of the Mikan girl came into my sight. She really is beautiful. I want to get to know her. I don't know how I got sleepy, but soon, I found myself falling asleep, the image of Mikan still in my mind.

**~Chapter 1 End~**

Wooooo! Well, I'm done with this chappie! I really do hope that all of you people like this new story! I know that this is pretty different than my first story, **My Supernatural Life**, but I can't just keep on writing about the same thing (or close to the same thing. :D)!

Anyways, if you haven't read **My Supernatural Life**, please do read it! I assure you, it's not even scary! Trust me on that one! Hahahaha! Well, please review this chapter and I hope that you all stay tuned for the next chapter!

~natsumikanluverization697 signing off! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Ollo! What's up peoples? I hope all of you are doing good 'cuz this is another chapter of Two Doors Down! OMG are you excited? Well you should be! And if you aren't, then you know what to do…eat a LOT of candy! Hahahaha! Just kidding! Well, here's my next chapter! :D

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 2~**

~Natsume's POV~

"Natsume wake up!" My mom's overly cheerful voice called out to me.

I groaned as she pulled the covers off of me, exposing my bare chest.

"Natsume, when did you start sleeping without a shirt?" she asked me.

"Since forever."

I got up off of the bed and gestured for my mom to get out. She sighed and did just that, closing the door behind her. I started my daily routine once she was out the door: fix my bed, brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, collect my school things, etcetera. The only difference was that I had my own bathroom and I had a new school uniform. My uniform had knee length red and black plaid shorts with a white polo shirt underneath a business like coat over it with a string like bow-tie. I also had knee length boots to go with it. Instead of wearing it like a good student, I decided to put my own twist on it. I left the top three buttons on the top of my polo unbuttoned and the string thingy hanging around my shoulder. I wore my coat somewhat messily and I did the same with my hair. The rest of my uniform was fine.

When I was done, I collected my things and started downstairs. I headed into the dining room where breakfast was already set up: sunny side up eggs on a plain bagel and some orange juice. I sat down, putting my bag beside me and started to eat. Misaki came down not too long after me and as soon as she took the first bite of her bagel, dad came in and started to tell us the rules of Gakuen Alice, our new school.

The rules were simple: just don't bring weapons and don't eat or chew gum in class and stuff like that. Dad gave us a map of all the buildings since the school was said to be huge. And looking at that map proved it. There were four main buildings: elementary, middle, high school, and cafeteria division. The cafeteria was huge. It was even bigger than it should have been. But I found out that it also had the elective rooms in there for the middle and high school students. The buildings were arranged in a square and all of their main entrances were pointed inward. In the center was a huge picnic area if you and your friends would like to eat outside. It was surrounding a fountain and a small garden of flowers and rose bushes.

The map showed nothing more, just that random stuff and the room numbers and the floors of the school. As long as I have this map, I don't think I'll be lost. Well, at least I hope. Since I'm 13, I'll be going to middle school division while Misaki will be going to the high school division since she is 15. By the time dad finished telling us everything, it was 7:40, which meant that there was only 20 minutes for Misaki and I to get to school and find our classes.

"Well, you two better get going! You don't want to be late" dad says after he tells us where to go to get to Gakuen Alice.

I nod while Misaki says bye and the both of us head on out. I get a good look as to what the girls' uniforms are due to all the people from our neighborhood walking to school. The uniforms consist of red and black plaid skirts that end mid thigh with a white polo underneath a black business like jacket and the same string tie and knee length boots.

And I bet you're wondering why I just didn't look at Misaki's uniform. Well, let me tell you this: it would be so wrong for a brother to look at his sister. That's your answer.

The walk to Gakuen Alice wasn't long. It only took about five minutes. And when Misaki and I got there, we went straight to the office. The secretary gave us our schedules and pointed out our class rooms on the map. So when we got out of the main office, Misaki and I split up, going in the direction of our school building.

As I walked passed, girls started to squeal and stare at me. This is just great….I'll have a fan club by lunch.

"TSUBASA SENPAI!" I hear a very angelic like voice call.

I turned to the sound of the voice and saw the girl who had been haunting my dreams, running towards…..a boy with dark blue hair and a matching set of dark blue eyes. He had a star tattoo under his right eye and he was wearing one of those beanie caps. He looks about 15 years old.

When I saw her running to that freak, I instantly felt some sort of weird emotion take root. What the heck was I feeling? Mikan finally got to the Tsubasa guy and she hugs him. HUGS HIM! And at that instant, I knew exactly what emotion I was feeling: jealousy. And Natsume Hyuuga NEVER gets jealous. Never. So why am I now? Is there something wrong with me? Ugh, the world is coming to an end!

I turn my attention away from the two and keep going the direction of the middle school building. I look for classroom 2-B. I walk down the halls and look at each name plate, getting impatient with the time it is taking to find my dang class. I finally find it at like the end of the hall, next to a giant window. Once I get there, there is this gay looking dude with blonde hair and violet eyes wearing a pink frilly shirt and purple skinny jeans.

"Hello! You must be Natsume! I'll be your home room teacher! My name is Narumi sensei! It's nice to meet you!" the guy says in a really annoying tone.

"Will you stop that" I said, feeling a vein throb in my head.

"Okay!" I felt my vein burst. "But you have to stay out here and wait for my signal to come in when class starts, okay?"

I reluctantly nod my head and watch him look behind me to someone in the hall.

"Mikan!" he calls.

At that name, I turn around and catch a glimpse of the girl from earlier, smiling and waving at Narumi.

"Ohayo, Narumi sensei!" she greets in her angelic like voice.

It doesn't look as if she had noticed me and before she could, Narumi pulled her into a hug and I was furious when she hugged back. All of a sudden, Narumi grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the class room. I listened as she greeted her classmates and how all of them seemed to greet her back in their own ways. I heard things like, "Hey Mimi!" or "What's up Mika" and "Good morning Mikan" and all sorts of stuff. I guess she was really well liked in this place. I mean, of course she is. She has the face of an angel and by the little time that I have spent with her so far, she is really polite and seems really kind.

All of a sudden, the bell signaling class to start rang and made me jump. Great, Natsume Hyuuga just lost his cool. How come all of this weird stuff is happening to me now? I mean, this never happened until I came here. I never jump or get jealous or get mad when I see someone, especially a girl that I had just met for like a couple of minutes the day before, hug another person. What is up with me?

I waited for my signal, listening to that gay Narumi to finish his 'speech' for the class. I was starting to doubt that he'd ever call for me when I heard, "Natsume, you can come in now!"

Sighing, I shoved a hand in my pocket and used the other to open the door. Once I was in the room, there were gasps and giggles and squeals and whispering. The giggles and squeals were from the girls of course. And even some of the gasps. The rest was from the dudes of the class. I tried not to listen to what everyone was saying. I just scanned the room for a familiar face.

"Natsume, please introduce yourself" Narumi said.

Sighing once more, I said, "Natsume Hyuuga. 13 years old."

There was no way that gay teacher of mine is gonna make me say anything more than that. And it seemed as if Narumi knew what I was thinking because he said, "Okay! Well, who would like to show Natsume around school?"

At that instant, all of the girls' hands shot up, each of them calling out for Narumi to pick them. There were only a few girls' hands that were not up and they were a pink haired, navy blue haired, black haired and brunette girl. And of course, the brunette was Mikan. I noticed that she was just staring out the window, yet I could tell that she was listening to everything Narumi was saying.

Narumi's eyes lit up at the same exact time as I saw my childhood friend Ruka staring at me, sitting next to Mikan. Even though Ruka was my childhood friend, I couldn't help but be jealous of him.

"Natsume…" Ruka mumbled and at that instant, the whole room went quiet.

Everyone was staring at Ruka and me….including Mikan. My guess is that they are wondering how we know each other. I nod to Ruka as if to acknowledge his presence. I watched out of the corner of my eyes as Narumi looked from Ruka, to me, and then back to Ruka. If he continued to do that, he would get a whiplash.

"You two know each other?" Narumi asked me. I nodded to answer his question.

"Well, I guess Ruka will be showing you around. Why don't you just sit on the other side of Mikan? Mikan, please raise your hand" Narumi said.

I watched as Mikan raised her hand, full attention on me. She gave me a small smile and I found it hard not to smile back. But luckily, I didn't. But I could feel my cold demeanor breaking, my eyes soften. I heard Ruka gasp as he took in my expression. I guess he could see the change. I sat down next to Mikan, letting silence engulf us as Narumi started his little lecture of what will be going on throughout the week and what important stuff will be happening.

I got a good look of Mikan while Narumi was dragging on and on about all this crap. Her red and black plaid skirt fit her perfectly. You know how on some girls, the skirt is either too short of too long? Well, her skirt fit just right. Her polo and jacket hugged her curves, showing off how curvy she really was. Mikan's knee length boots looked really good on her. They cover her dainty feet perfectly. And the tie around her neck completed the look, making her look perfect. Her hair was tied up in two pig tail just like the day before. It hung down naturally, making it all look right. I can't believe how good she looks, even with a uniform. It's kind of impossible! But it's right in front of me. Mikan could pull off even this uniform. I bet that she could pull of the ugliest one and make it look as if it were a prom dress.

I looked at my schedule and saw that I was to stay in this room for my next class, Japanese. I wonder if everyone in here will do the same. As soon as the bell rang, my question was answered. No one was leaving, and no one was entering the room. Everyone jus crowded around Ruka, Mikan, and my desk, asking me a whole bunch of random questions that just got me plain annoyed.

"U-umm" Ruka stuttered when he saw how annoyed I was getting to be. "Could you all leave Natsume alone? H-he doesn't really feel comfortable with everyone around him."

Nobody really listened to him and they continued to ask a whole bunch of random questions. I thought it would never stop! I didn't think that anyone would save us when I heard someone yell, "Shut up!"

The group huddled around us turned to see a boy with sandy colored hair with wide brown eyes and a grin plastered on his face. "Will you all leave this guy alone? You're just creeping him out and he'll end up moving because of how creepy all of you people are. Plus, you're suffocating Mikan too."

Everyone started to back away at the 'moving away' part and when they heard the 'suffocating Mikan' part, they all headed back to their seats. Wow, who knew this girl could have such an effect on an entire class?

The grin never faltering, the sandy haired guy came up to us and took a seat on top of the table in front of Mikan. "Your welcome" he said, winking at Mikan.

Jealousy flared as I saw Mikan blush and smile back. All of a sudden, she frowned. "Why'd you have to use me in your reasoning?" she asked.

"You know how everyone is so overprotective of you. It makes everyone back off if your involved" the guy answered, all grins. "You do know that if you ever get hurt, like, one million people will be at your side and asking who hurt you so they can beat them the hell up."

"Y-yeah" Mikan mumbled, only the three of us hearing her. She looked down at her lap, like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Haha! You're all shy now! Well, gotta go back to my seat! Class is gonna start" the guy said, ruffling Mikan's hair.

"Yeah, bye Koko" Mikan said all quietly.

I watched as the guy, Koko, went to his desk and sat down next to a green haired girl with permed hair. I was surprised to see that Mikan didn't even attempt to fix her hair. She just left it the way that Koko dude made it. I have to admit, the way Mikan's hair was kind of messed up made her look even cuter than before, but I thought that if that happened to a girl, she'd be all over it, trying to fix it. This Mikan girl is interesting.

The bell rang, signaling for class to start once more. Narumi wrote the main idea of the lesson on the board, drabbling on and on for what we had to do for our home work and yadda yadda. I was getting really board with this. It was a miracle when the bell rang, signaling for us to get to our next class.

I stood up, followed by Ruka, Mikan, and the rest of the class. I wasn't in much of a hurry. I just watched as the black haired girl, the navy blue and bubblegum pink haired girls along with Ruka and that Koko dude and a guy with glasses all gathered next to the door. They noticed that I was just walking towards the door, a few feet away from them so they all turned to me.

"Hey Natsume," Ruka said, "what class are you in next?"

"PE" I replied, looking at my schedule.

"Well, you're with us!" The navy blue and bubble gum pink haired girls chorused.

"Guys, we're going to be late" the guy with glasses informed us.

"Okay, let's go!" Mikan said, and we all started towards the locker room.

While we were walking, the group introduced themselves…. except for Mikan and Ruka. The boy with dirty blonde hair with honey brown eyes and glasses was Yuu Tobita. The girl with the bubble gum pink hair and matching pink eyes is Anna Umenomiya and her twin sister Nonoko is the one with the navy blue hair and matching blue eyes. The girl with black hair happens to be Hotaru Imai. She has purple eyes and is very nonchalant like me.

The group looked at my schedule. It states that we all have some classes together. So, I'd be in a few classes with a few people I knew at a time. The group really didn't tell me WHEN I would have the classes with them, but they said that I would always at least have ONE friend. I noticed that Mikan didn't get to get a good look at my schedule, but she could always look later.

When we got to the locker room, we all split up, everyone going to their lockers in either they boys' or girls' while I went to the teachers so they'd give me a locker. Once I got one, I got changed and put everything in the locker; I headed into the gym, looking for Ruka and the others.

I spotted them sitting in a corner, talking. I also noticed that the Tsubasa guy from earlier was there along with my sister Misaki. As I started walking over to them, I noticed that the Koizumi girl from yesterday was coming my way. I picked up my pace and luckily reached the group before Koizumi reached me.

"Hey Hyuuga" Mikan greeted, smiling at me warmly. That's when the rest of the group noticed me and turned to look at me in a greeting.

I nodded to her in reply. I noticed the girl's uniform was similar to the guys': spandex, black shorts and gray shirts. The guys' shorts were baggy. I looked to my sister and noticed that she was staring at me, grinning.

"See Natsume," she started, "We knew that Ruka was going to be here. And look, you made a whole GROUP of new friends! It wasn't so bad!"

"Whatever" I replied, rolling my eyes.

I took a seat next to Mikan and watched all of them chat. I wonder when the teacher will come out. Suddenly, the teacher appeared and told everyone to get into their spots. Everyone did as they were told as I went up to the teacher to get my seat. It turns out that I sit at the very back in the same row as Mikan. The bad news though is that she is surrounded by boys in this class. The way the guys talk to her is as if they are flirting with her and I hate it.

Throughout the whole class, we did a whole bunch of annoying exercises that seemed completely inappropriate. I highly doubt that we all have to do such annoying things. I was sooooo relieved when the class ended and we all had to change. I quickly changed and sat outside of the locker rooms, waiting for Ruka and the rest to get out.

Instead of the people I was waiting for, I found myself surrounded by a whole bunch of random people, namely girls, asking weird questions. How can this get any worse? All of a sudden, Koizumi made her way into the circle and grabbed hold of my arm.

"Go away! He's mine!" she shouted at all of them.

"I'm not _yours_" I told her coldly, shoving her off of me.

I somehow made my way out of the circle and found Mikan just coming out of the locker room. I made a quick skim of who was out here and I saw it was just her so far. So, I made my way over to her as fast as I could without breaking my 'cool' façade, hands in my pocket, backpack slung over my shoulder. I noticed that Koizumi and some other rabid girls were following me but I paid no mind to them. I just watched as Mikan got this cute, confused look on her face as to what was going on.

"Hyuuga" she asked, "what's with the crowd behind you?"

"Nothing" I answered.

Seeing that I didn't want to talk of it anymore, Mikan just nodded and started toward a little place that could be a cool hang out. It was a small hill of grass and it had a few bushes and flower plants surrounding it. I watched as Mikan sat on top of the hill and placed her bag down. She motioned me over and patted the ground as if telling me I should sit next to her. I complied and did as I was 'motioned'. I noticed that Koizumi and the other girls got pretty mad when they saw the two of us sitting. I knew that they were gonna do something to Mikan. But I wouldn't allow that.

The both of us waited until everyone had come out to the little hang out and we waited for the bell to ring. Nothing really happened. Ruka and I just told everyone how we know each other and how Ruka had to move here and everything. Soon enough the bell rang, signaling us all to go to our next class.

"What class do you have next Natsume?" Ruka asked me.

I looked down to my schedule once more and said, "History."

"Then you're coming with Mikan and I" Ruka replied.

I nodded and followed Ruka, Mikan by my side. We made our way through the elaborate hallways. I was surprised that these two could get through the whole school without getting lost. Finally, we found ourselves inside the history class room.

"Hey, we get to change seats" Mikan said, tugging on Ruka's sleeve.

I kept my jealousy under control as Ruka looked at her and smiled, nodding.

"Well, let's find a new seat."

Ruka and Mikan started to the corner of the room all the way in the back, nearest to the window. I followed them, not sure where to sit. Mikan sat next to the window. Ruka sat in front of her and I sat beside her, seeing that her seat was the last in the row. I watched as the room was soon filled with students, either admiring my looks or ogling Mikan. I tried my best to keep my face expressionless as I watched dudes hit on Mikan. It's not like I can do anything. I mean, hello, I just met her yesterday! And I can barely call her a friend! It's not like she belongs to me! It's not like I liker her!

And with that, the bell rang and told us that history was starting. The teacher called me up and told me to introduce myself to the class. I did as I was told and to my surprise, Koizumi was in front of me, fluttering her eyes flirtatiously.

"Thank you. You may return to your seat" the teacher said.

"Hn" I answered, sneering in disgust at Koizumi.

I made my way back to my seat next to Mikan as the teacher started the lesson. I listened as the teacher droned on about the Japanese government and blah blah blah. Well, at least this day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, at least, so far.

**~Chapter 2 End~**

Well, this was half of Natsume's first day! Cool, huh? Well, I've got news for you: the next chapter will be on the second part of the three part school day! If that makes sense... And I guess I'll have to put my corny intro to tell you what has been going on. With this story's title you know? And guess what…..I'm gonna introduce a really cute character in the next chapter! Yay! :D I hope you all are looking forward to it!

Also, I'm sorry that I'm putting so much hate on Luna. I mean, I know not many people like her, but for the ones that might, I'm sooooo sorry! I just really DISPISE (Hate is a strong word) her! I can't stand her! So, yeah, I make her the evil villain of my stories. Haha!

And now, I would like to say thanks to all those who have added me to their faves and story alerts and maybe as well as reviewed! And those people are:

xxxHazelxCrimson

.3rrY.

joyce09

BeHind ThY HaZel OrBs

PaRaDiSe iN RaRo

Orange Kiss

Jonzz

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Melyss

Kylee-Cat

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

And one more thing! If you haven't read my first story, My Supernatural Life, I would like you to read it. Also, I have already finished My Supernatural Life, so I would just like to let all of my readers know that there will no longer be anymore chapters posted for that story! I'm sorry! :( P.S. readers who haven't read My Supernatural Life, it is NOT scary! I repeat, it is NOT scary! Okay, well, maybe there are a few creepy parts but it's not enough to give you nightmares! ...Right? Well, just read and enjoy! :D

Well, see you all next time! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Well, this is the next chapter! Just to let you all know, I know that the middle school uniform is blue but I changed the story a bit so that the whole school (different sections and all) will wear red uniforms. So, I hope you don't mind! :P And as I have promised, here is the really, overly corny intro to the story! :D

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi.**

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Hahaha! I did the same thing for My Supernatural Life! :D)

And with that, the bell rang and told us that history was starting. The teacher called me up and told me to introduce myself to the class. I did as I was told and to my surprise, Koizumi was in front of me, fluttering her eyes flirtatiously.

"Thank you. You may return to your seat" the teacher said.

"Hn" I answered, sneering in disgust at Koizumi.

I made my way back to my seat next to Mikan as the teacher started the lesson. I listened as the teacher droned on about the Japanese government and blah blah blah. Well, at least this day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, at least, so far.

**Two Doors Down**

**~chapter 3~**

~Natsume's POV~

When the bell rang, Ruka, Mikan and I packed up all of our things. I really hope that Koizumi will leave us alone. I REALLY don't wand to deal with her right now.

"What class do you have next Hyuuga?" Mikan asked me, obviously done packing.

"It says free period" I answered her while looking at my schedule.

"Follow me, okay?" Mikan told me. I nodded, happy that my next class was going to be with her too.

"Bye Ruka-pyon! Gotta go!" Mikan said, waving to Ruka. Wait…did she just call him Ruka-PYON?

"B-bye M-Mikan" Ruka stuttered her name out.

Once the two of us were out of Ruka's sight, I asked Mikan, "Did you call him Ruka-PYON?"

"Yeah! It was the nickname that I made up for him!" Mikan replied cheerily.

Weird….I'd have to ask Ruka about that later.

Mikan lead the way out of the middle school building and headed towards the little building for the extra classes and such that was next to the cafeteria. We went in and Mikan opened the door to one of the class rooms; the same class room number that was on my schedule sheet.

The room was filled with students from elementary, middle, and high school divisions. I guess that this is the place where students just get to hang out and do homework and stuff. I saw Koko, Misaki and Tsubasa sitting on one of the desks talking to a kid that looked identical to Koko. The only difference was that his eyes were all squinty.

"Hey guys" Mikan calls out to them in greeting.

All of them stop what their doing and greet Mikan and me back.

"Hi Kitsu! What's up?" Mikan asked the squinty eyed guy.

"Nothing much Mimi" he replies.

"So what are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. We're just wondering where Youichi is." Kitsu said as the bell rang, signaling for classes to resume.

"Oh yeah, where is he?" Mikan asked, scanning her eyes around the room, trying to find the said person.

"Don't worry Mikan" Tsubasa said, "I'm pretty sure he'll be here soon."

"Are you sure" Mikan asked with the cutest worried expression I ever saw.

"Of course he'd be okay" I heard a different voice say behind me.

Turning around, I found what I think is a young teacher standing behind me.

"Hi, I'm Noda sensei. I'm the 'instructor' for this class" he said, making air quotes for instructor.

"Do you know where he is Noda sensei?" Mikan asked him, clasping her hands together.

"Yeah, he's going to be late because their teacher needs some help from him."

"Good" Mikan sighed in relief.

"Well, I'll be at my desk if you need me" Noda said and went off.

"Hey Hyuuga," Mikan said, "Can I look at your schedule for a sec?"

I nodded and handed her the schedule. I watched as she skimmed over it, her eyes became wide.

"What?" I asked her. What was wrong with her?

"We have all of our classes together" Mikan stated.

"Really?" Koko asked really loud.

"Uhuh."

Wow. Who knew that she'd be in every single one of my classes? Well, I'm happy for that. I get to be with her all day. Just the thought of that made me feel all warm and tingly. It felt good. Koko took a look at my schedule and said I had next period with him as well as sixth.

"But we have lunch next, so we all get to see each other" Koko explained to me.

"Okay" I answered.

All of a sudden, I heard a yelp from Mikan. I looked over to her, worried as to what might have happened to her. But I still kept my face an emotionless void.

"Mikan-nee" a small voice said. The voice sounded as if it were muffled by clothing.

When I looked down, I saw a boy about six years old and he had silver hair and green eyes. He was just up to the bottom Mikan's chest so he was hugging her around her waist, burying his face into her stomach. I felt myself get jealous of the little guy. He could hug her any time he wanted and if I did anything to him, I'd be yelled at by Mikan or I'd seriously hurt her feelings or something. I can't believe I'm jealous of a 6 YEAR OLD! This is awful!

"There you are Youichi!" Mikan said, hugging the boy back.

I kept my temper under control so that I wouldn't do anything harsh to him. By now, I'm pretty sure Misaki figured out that I have some sort of interest in Mikan, but she doesn't show it. I know that she knows. And I'm not surprised if, like, everyone in this entire room figured out I have an interest in her. I feel as if I'm making it so obvious.

But just as fast as the jealousy had come, it had gone just as quickly. I found myself staring down at the young boy, Youichi, while he stared back to me. He reminded me of…me. Wow. He had a stoic face like mine and I could tell that whenever he was with Mikan, he would always show emotion. He seemed really attached to Mikan too. He wouldn't stop hugging her when he saw me. He just stood there hugging her and staring at me.

"Oh," Mikan started. "You must be wondering who this is! This is Youichi Hijiri! He's a little kohai of mine and he goes to the elementary division of the school. Youichi, this is Natsume Hyuuga!"

I nodded to the boy as he nodded back, letting go of Mikan. I could hear a few gasps come from the Koko and Tsubasa dudes including my sister.

"Youichi is like a mini Natsume!" Koko and Tsubasa chorused. They brought their hands to their cheeks to further improve the act of idiocy.

"Quit being stupid" Youichi and I chorused together.

When I heard we both said it, I looked to him to see him doing the same thing. Youichi and I just stood there staring at each other for god knows how long.

"Mine" Youichi said all of a sudden, hugging Mikan once more around the waist.

My guess is that he just found out about the thing with me being interested in Mikan and stuff.

"I'm not anyone's Yo" Mikan giggled while patting Youichi's head.

"What was that about?" I could hear Koko whispering to Tsubasa.

He just shrugged in response and looked to Misaki for an answer. She shrugged too. I sighed while pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head back and forth slowly. I was too old to fight with a 6 year old. There is no way I'm getting in a fight with one over a girl. That's kind of stupid.

"Whatever" I sighed once more, going to the window sill to sit on it.

I looked out the window, looking around the school grounds….or as much of the school grounds I can see from here. This school is HUGE! There are, like, four HUGE buildings here. I'm not sure, but I think that there are some more minor buildings throughout the grounds. The set up of the school is awesome. It looks perfect, like a huge castle separated into sections. I wouldn't be surprised if it really were a castle a long time ago.

I heard some shuffling and whispers behind me. I couldn't really hear the conversation but I immediately knew what they were talking about when I heard the word, 'anti-social' come out of my sister's mouth.

"Shut up, Misaki" I growled. "I'm not anti-social."

"Oh, yes you are!" she stated. "You don't really talk to anyone and the only person you had ever talked to in you entire life outside of the family is Ruka. I think he may be your only friend! Dude, you're anti-social alright."

"I'm not" I growled once more, glaring at her this time.

"If you think that glaring at me will make me start crying and hide in a corner, think again little brother. It won't work on me."

I growled out a breath and stood up off of my perch on the window sill and started for the door. Once I was out, I started through the path in which Mikan and I took in order to get into this classroom. All of a sudden, I heard tapping footsteps behind me and not a moment too soon, I felt a hand wrap around my wrist.

"Hyuuga" I heard an angelic voice say, somewhat comforting. "You know if you walk out in the halls during class without a hall pass, you'll get in trouble."

I turned to see Mikan standing there, smiling at me.

"Besides," she said, "I'm pretty sure that your sister's just kidding. Wait, of course she is! That's what siblings do! They tease and make fun of each other. And you know what? It really shows just how much siblings know of each other. I'm pretty sure Misaki senpai didn't mean to embarrass you or anything."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah, I know. She just pisses me off" I told Mikan, not looking at her, but at the ground.

"It's okay to be mad. It's just natural. You don't have to get out of the room you're in with the person you're arguing with. Here, why don't we go back?" Mikan asked me, trying to make me look at her. And it worked.

"….Y-yeah." I finally said, trying to hide my blush that coated my cheeks after I saw how cute Mikan had looked.

"Then come on!" Mikan exclaimed.

I expected her to let go of my wrist and walk ahead of me, but instead, she entwined her fingers into mine and gently pulled me to the classroom, that angelic smile never leaving her face. She kept on looking at me, walking backwards the whole time. Was this why people like her so much? Did she make you feel so special and help you with your problems that you can't help but get attached to her? Because if so, it was really working on me.

When we got to the classroom, she opened the door and led the both of us in. It seemed as if she didn't notice the stares the way she was holding my hand attracted. She just kept on leading me to the desks where the group was still hanging out. The only difference was that everyone was staring at us and that Youichi kid was glaring at me. Oh joy. An elementary kid hates me. Oh well. It's not like he can beat me up or anything.

"Mikan how did you do that?" Misaki asked, running to the said girls' side and grabbing both of her hands from my grasp. Crap.

"How did I do what Misaki senpai?" Mikan asked with an innocent look on her adorable face.

"How'd you get him to come back? He'd never done that before! Especially after we fought!"

"I-I just talked to him….that's all…"

"Oh my gods! The apocalypse is coming! Quick everyone, run and hide! WAAAAAAAA" Misaki screamed dramatically, waving her hands in the air while running around like a chicken with its head cut off. She's giving me a headache.

"Oi, will you shut up" I interrupted, rubbing my temples. "Your voice is giving me a headache."

"Party pooper" Misaki grumbled while pouting, crossing her arms.

"Just shut up" I told her, taking my perch on the window sill once more.

And then, conversation just went on within the group. I have to admit, Mikan did pull me into the conversation a few times. She might even try to do it more. But I just looked out the window, listening in to their conversation.

That Youichi kid did the same thing. He sits on the opposite side of the window sill, looking at the scenery and talking seldomly in the conversations. Youichi and I sometimes spoke to each other and he really IS like a mini me, if I do say so myself. I am starting to like this kid.

A couple of times, I took a look to see what the heck Noda sensei was doing. I noticed that he was playing a game of connect four with one of his random students and apparently, he was winning. Heh, this school is weird.

By the end of the 'class' period, Youichi and I are on the same terms and we have some sort of brotherly relationship. But that won't stop us from fighting over Mikan. I'm pretty sure that there will be a battle between us for her someday. I have no idea if I like this girl as a friend or like her as in love her. I'm too confused. And I just moved here. So, I'm assuming it's just friends.

Soon enough, the bell rings, signaling us to go to lunch. Mikan leads Tsubasa, Youichi, Misaki, Koko, Kitsu and I to a hidden forest in the back of the middle school building. I never even knew this was here! It was never in the map! When we got there, Ruka, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, and the green haired permed girl along with Yuu were there.

"Hey!" Ruka, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, and the green haired girl chorused together.

"Hi!" Mikan, Koko, Tsubasa, Misaki, and Kitsu chorused back.

We got to the spot and settled down under the huge Sakura tree that was above them, surrounded by more Sakura trees.

Everyone started chatting, Youichi sitting on Mikan's lap, eating, and all of us crowded around Mikan, talking animatedly. I have to admit, I had fun. I talked a whole lot more than I usually would during lunch, even with Ruka. And Ruka seemed to have noticed my change. He glanced at me from time to time, his look sort of suspicious. But I paid no heed to it. I was having too much fun. Even though I was having fun, I kept my stoic face on, making sure no one saw my true emotions. I felt as if I fit into this group easily.

"Oh yeah" Mikan suddenly gasped, looking towards me.

"What?" I asked her, suspicion finding its way into my features.

"You must not know Permy yet!" she exclaimed, grabbing the said girl's wrist. She had green permed hair with matching green eyes.

"Permy?"

"Well, her real name is Sumire Shouda. We just call her Permy as her nick name."

"Oh. Hi."

"H-hi" Sumire stuttered back to me, somewhat blushing at the mention of her nick name from Mikan.

The rest of the lunch period is just like that. The others just talk about all of the 'fun' clubs here and where the good hang outs and hiding places are and what days have the best school lunch specials in the canteen. Huh, these people are random.

The bell rings and Youichi goes to the elementary division, Tsubasa and Misaki go the high school division, and Koko, Mikan, the others and I go to the middle school division for our next class. Algebra is the class Koko, Mikan and I are going. Along the way, I notice some guys looking at Mikan and whisper to the others next to him. I try my hardest not to kill them. It would do me no good if Mikan knew I killed an 'innocent' bystander who just happened to be a guy who was checking her out. I know from the day that I met her that she wouldn't be happy. And I would be lying if I said I didn't notice a whole bunch of girls giggling and whispering when I passed by.

We reached the Algebra class and took some seats in the back left corner of the room. I noticed that Anna and Nonoko, the twins, were there waiting for us before we even got there. How the heck did that happen? Weren't we all at lunch together earlier? We were just talking a bit when I heard Koizumi and her posse enter the classroom. I pretended not to notice and just started talking to Mikan randomly. I have no idea what I said but the plan was horrible. Koizumi took the nearest seat that was available to me and sat there, her posse taking seats next to her. I cursed in my head. This is going to be a long class.

"Is Natsume Hyuuga here?" the Algebra teacher asked, looking around the room when the bell rang.

"Here" I said in monotone, raising my hand.

"Would you please come up here and introduce yourself" he asked….more like commanded.

"Sure" I said, getting up and heading to the front of the class.

Once I got up there, the teacher introduced himself as Jinno sensei. I nodded and looked towards the class with a bored expression plastered on my face.

"Natsume Hyuuga. 13 years old. Just moved here" I said in clipped tones. The entire time I said that, I stared straight at Mikan. And she stared strait back.

"Thank you, Hyuuga. You may sit down now."

I nodded and did as I was told, never looking away from Mikan. And I was pretty disappointed when she looked away from me to a guy who was trying to get her attention from about a row down.

"Hiroshima, Mikan, please stop talking and let me continue my lecture" Jinno sensei said, speaking to the two with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, sir" Mikan and the guy, Hiroshima, chorused.

Jinno sensei nodded and turned back to the white board and wrote down a few equations. I have to admit I was kind of mad to know that Mikan was friends with not only a majority of the girl population, but just as much of the boy population too. This didn't really make me feel all happy inside. It made me feel like crap. I really want to make this class end. And fast.

I could say that I almost jumped for joy when the bell rang. Key word: ALMOST. But if I wanted to, I totally could have. I packed up all of my things, looking to see if that Hiroshima guy was coming here or not. Unfortunately, he was.

"Sorry for getting you in trouble, Mikan" he said.

Hiroshima was an average sized guy. He was about 5'5 and he was skinny, but not so skinny that he looked like a girl or anything. He was sort of guy skinny. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes. And for those of you who don't know what the color hazel is, it is a mix of green and brown in the eyes. Hiroshima's eyes were rimmed with a brilliant green and nearer to the pupil, a honey brown color was there. It wasn't that much of the brown, but it was dotted a little in the green part of his irises. He had freckles across his nose and cheeks too.

"It's okay Hiroshima!" Mikan replied cheerfully, slinging her backpack over her shoulders as I did the same.

"Well, let's get to the next class?" Hiroshima asked. Wait, he had the next class with us?

"Yeah! Oh, this is Natsume Hyuuga," Mikan gestured to me. "Hyuuga, this is Hiroshima."

I nodded to Hiroshima as he said "Hi" in return. I listened as Mikan explained I had the next class with them, including Koko.

"Oh, well, welcome aboard, Natsume!" Hiroshima said, grinning.

"Hn" I replied, slightly bored.

"Well, let's get going!" Mikan said. And then, we started out for our next class.

Well, that's the end of the chapter! I hope you all liked this chappie and I will update ASAP. Well, as soon as ASAP is. Haha! :D Now, here is the thanx for all who reviewed or added me to their favorites and/or story alert n stuff! Those people are….

Otaku-Mae

ChicCuteness

Jonzz

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Melyss

lemonandapples

Liquidgold

diane-chan desu

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	4. Chapter 4

So here I am, back with the next chapter of Two Doors Down! I hope you like! :D OH, and I just want to say before I start this next chapter, thank you all who reviewed! Those people are listed at the bottom of the chapter, so I just wanted to say before hand (since I couldn't PM any of you because of homework and annoying siblings) THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH! YOU ALL MAKE ME FEEL SOOO HAPPY! I FEEL THE LOVE! HAHA, LOL! :D Well, read and please review! :D

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi.**

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Haha! How corny can I get? :D)

"Yeah! Oh, this is Natsume Hyuuga" Mikan gestured to me. "Hyuuga, this is Hiroshima."

I nodded to Hiroshima as he said "Hi" in return. I listened as Mikan explained I had the next class with them, including Koko.

"Oh, well, welcome aboard, Natsume!" Hiroshima said, grinning.

"Hn" I replied, slightly bored.

"Well, let's get going!" Mikan said. And then, we started out for our next class.

**Two Doors Down**

**~chapter 4~**

~Natsume's POV~

I followed Mikan out of the room, Koko and Hiroshima trailing behind. It only took about a minute or two to get to the next class. And once we got there, we sat down next to Ruka, Sumire and Hotaru. They were in the back of the room, the left corner. I sat down next to Mikan once more while Sumire sat in front of me, Koko behind me, and Hiroshima on the other side of me.

Koizumi walked into the room once more, but seeing that there weren't any seats near me, she sat in the closest possible seat…..again. I highly doubt I'll be saved from sitting near Koizumi again. I was just lucky today. I really hope that I don't run into her. Ugh, that would be a nightmare.

When the bell rang, a tall man with black hair and matching black eyes came in and introduced himself.

"Natsume Hyuuga," he read off of the chart and looked at me, "I'm Misaki sensei, your science teacher."

When I heard his name, I almost started laughing. He had the same name as my sister! Wow, this is GOLD! I managed to contain my laughter and keep my face emotionless.

"I expect you to behave in class and do all of the work assigned tonight even though you're new. You could always ask some of your new friends for help if you need to."

"Hn."

And with that, he started the lesson, writing the standard on the white board. I had already learned this in my old school, so I didn't really need to listen. I was just zoning out, looking out of the window, and sometimes casting a glance towards Mikan. I felt as if someone were staring at me a few points of the class. And when I felt the gaze a fifth time, I got curious and turned to the gaze of Luna Koizumi. When she noticed me looking, she fluttered her eyelashes, trying to look cute. Keyword: TRYING. In reality, she was failing….EPICALLY.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, I started to pack up my things, writing down the assignment for homework. I didn't notice when, but Koizumi was just suddenly above me, fluttering her eyes even more. It was sickening.

"Hey, sorry about yesterday" she said REALLY loud so that the whole class, which was still in here, could hear. "I didn't mean to just leave you like that. If it weren't for Sakura here," she said glaring at Mikan, "I could have stayed with you."

"Shut up" I said, glancing at Mikan, taking in her hurt expression.

"But hey," she kept going as if I didn't say anything, "we could do the homework together. I can teach you anything you don't get. What do you say Natsume?" she asked, just as loud as ever. I can't believe this whore.

"I'd rather not" I told her, venom obviously in my voice.

"Why not?" she asked, feigning hurt.

"Because I said so" I answered, glaring at her.

I continued to pack my things, watching Koizumi as she went to Mikan's desk.

"This is all YOUR fault Sakura! If it wasn't for you, Natsume would like me!" Koizumi screamed at Mikan. "You're worthless! Good for nothing! You know what? I think the world would be WAY better if YOU WERE NOT IN IT!"

I watched as tears started making their way down Mikan's cheeks. She looked to the ground and clenched her fists. I saw she was trying to pull herself together, to stop crying, to make it as if Koizumi's words didn't affect her. But in reality, they really did affect her….BAD.

The bag dropped from Mikan's shoulder as she ran out of the room, crying silently. I immediately dropped my things, glared at Koizumi, and ran after the crying girl, hoping to find her.

I didn't see her in the middle school section so I ran outside. Now where would she be? I ran towards the woods behind the middle school and looked around. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a figure in the big Sakura tree the group and I ate underneath at lunch.

I instantly ran towards it and started climbing. I finally got to the branch which the person was on and to my relief, it was Mikan. I noticed that she didn't notice me yet and she was crying into her hands. I sat on the branch and felt her stiffen as I wrapped my arms around her.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about" I whispered, knowing that Mikan knew that I meant Koizumi. "Everyone here NEEDS you. OBVIOUSLY! It's the most obvious thing. I noticed it throughout the day. And this is my first day here."

I felt Mikan relax and hug me back, crying into my chest. After a few minutes, she let me go as well as I let her go. Drying her eyes, she smiled at me.

"Thank you Hyuuga" she somewhat sang with a cracking voice.

It's incredible to think that even after she cries, she sounds like she's singing. I noticed one more tear sliding down her cheek. So, I lifted my right hand and wiped it away with my thumb, nodding to her.

"Let's go" I told her, climbing down the tree.

She followed suit. Once she got down, she slipped her hand into mine. Wow, this girl wasn't as shy as I thought. But why does she want to hold my hand? Not that I don't like it! It's actually not that bad. But…..why?

When we got to the classroom once more, everyone was still there: the whole class, the teacher, everyone; including Koizumi. It also came to me that the whole group of people that Mikan introduced me to was here. But Mikan and I walked in, side by side, still holding hands. Everyone was staring at our entwined hands as I walked Mikan to her seat, picked up her bag, then picked up mine. I started for the door but Koizumi was suddenly in the way, blocking Mikan.

"What do you think your doing, holding MY Natsume's hand?" Koizumi asked in her high pitched, snobby voice.

"I'm NOT yours" I interrupted, yelling the whole sentence, emphasizing the word 'not'.

Koizumi gave a shocked look as I pushed past her and pulled Mikan along with me. It wasn't long until Ruka got to his senses and started to follow Mikan and I followed by the rest. I walked until we were at the main entrance of the neighborhood community Mikan and I lived in. In all, Ruka, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Koko, Kitsu, Sumire, Hiroshima, Youichi and even Misaki and Tsubasa were there. When I reached the entrance, I turned around and looked at Mikan, taking in her expression.

She was sniffling a bit; wiping the tears out of her eyes with her finger. Usually, a girl would look horrible after she cried; but not her. She looked like an angel. But she looked like a heartbroken angel; the kinds that you would see in the movies, crying because of their lost love or some crap like that. But this wasn't a movie. This was real.

"Stupid" I muttered to her.

"Wh-what?" she asked, her voice shaking.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes and lifted my hand to her face. I felt my eyes grow soft for the crying girl in front of me. And I don't really care if I showed any weaknesses now because all that's on my mind is to make Mikan stop crying.

"Don't waste your tears on her" I told her, wiping a stray tear away from her eyes with my thumb. "She's just insecure of herself and she doesn't know crap."

Giggling, Mikan wiped all of her tears away and gave me a beautiful and brave smile.

"Your right!" she exclaimed happily.

I nodded, keeping my face stoic even though I wanted to smile along with her. And in a second, Hotaru was in my way of Mikan and Anna, Nonoko, Sumire, Hiroshima, Ruka, Tsubasa, Yuu, Youichi and Koko were surrounding her asking things like, "are you okay?" and "do you want us to beat that Koizumi up?". It was annoying.

"Well little brother," Misaki started when I noticed her next to me. "I didn't think that it was possible but good job. You cheered up a girl you barely even know in a few seconds."

"Whatever" was my simple reply.

After the crowd around her was diminished, everyone started to go their own ways home. I noticed that Ruka, Hotaru, and Mikan were all going the same way and that Misaki and I were to do the same. I immediately caught up to them in my calm pace and so did Misaki.

"So, how was your first day of school, Natsume?" Ruka asked me, giving me a sheepish grin.

"Annoying" I replied, keeping my face nonchalant. I made sure my eyes were portraying no emotion. "Hey, do you mind coming over?"

"Of course not! So, what's up?"

"Nothing."

Ruka came a little closer and whispered, "Are you kidding me? I've noticed that you have really changed from when I went away. You are showing a whole LOT of emotions now. But, it's only when it has to do with Mikan."

"I said it was noting."

Ruka sighed. "Whatever you say, Natsume."

We kept on walking until we got to my house. Ruka, Misaki and I walked up the path to my front door. I watched as Mikan and Hotaru went up the path to Mikan's front door at the same time. When the two girls got in, Misaki and I went into the house, Ruka following.

"Hey Mom, Dad" Misaki greeted.

"Hey kids!" Mom said excitedly. "Is this Ruka? Oh, Ruka, it's been so long since we have last seen you! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Mrs. Hyuuga" Ruka replied politely, flashing a smile.

"Good! So, how was your day Natsume, Misaki?"

"Annoying" I answered first. I started up the stairs, Ruka following. "I'm gonna do my homework with Ruka."

"Okay" Mom replied, watching the two of us head upstairs.

I went into my room and sat at the desk, dumping my bag next to the chair.

"Wow" Ruka sighed, looking around my room. "Your room looks nice!"

"Thanks."

"So," Ruka said seriously, setting down his book bag. "Seriously, what's up? Why do you act so different with Mikan? Wait, don't tell me that you like her!"

"I don't!" I answered way too quickly. Wow. I don't think that he will believe me now.

Eyeing me suspiciously, Ruka said, "Okay….then why DO you act like that towards her?"

I sighed and ruffled my hair. Now THAT was a good question. So, why did I act that way to Mikan? Liking her is out of the question. I've only met her yesterday! There is no possible way for that! Is there?

"I don't know. Why don't we just do our work" I said changing the subject.

I grabbed my homework out of my bag and started work. Ruka sighed and did the same. I REALLY hope that all of that 'Mikan talk' ended here. I don't want to think about it anymore. It was just too confusing. It didn't make any sense. I don't think that there are any possible answers for this; none at all.

It took only about an hour to do my homework. This stuff was way too easy. I can't believe that these people are this behind my school in their work. I watched as Ruka looked over his algebra answers. I guess he was just double checking them because he wasn't looking at his textbook. Soon, he too was done and he put his things away.

"So," Ruka started, "How was life when I left?"

I thought for a moment. What do I say? If I say that it was a living hell, then I would sound like I couldn't live without him and that's just plain wrong. So I settled with the next thing that came into my mind.

"It wasn't too bad. But it wasn't good either."

I couldn't really tell if Ruka could understand my answer. But all he did was nod his head as if thinking of something important.

"Did you miss me?" Ruka asked.

"Dude, what kind of question is that?"

"Ah, I see."

"See what?"

"You DID miss me! I knew it!"

I just sighed. I'll let him think whatever he wants. Well, it's not like he was way off. He was actually on the spot! He got his guess right.

"Do you like this place?" Ruka suddenly asked me.

"Uh…I guess."

"Even though you live right next door to Luna Koizumi?"

"…"

"So, you don't?"

"…..I don't know. Just….just ask me another question."

"Okay then. Uh….do you know what awesome things Gakuen Alice does throughout the school year?"

"No."

"WELL," Ruka started, pretty much yelling. "They put on this fall festival. It's called the 'Alice Festival' and it's open to everyone in public. It falls on November 26, 27, your birthday, and the 28th! They do the coolest things! It lasts from Friday to Sunday. And then, on Christmas, they have this huge masquerade ball and it's this gigantic party! Natsume, man, its amazing! During the spring time, they put on this spring festival. They call it the 'Spring Fest' and we all do these cool carnival things and such. But, you just missed this year's one…that's too bad! It was awesome! And finally, on the last week of school, we all go on this field trip determined by your age group and you just party at your field trip for the whole week. It's like, total freedom from your parents that whole week!"

Wow, that sounded great. Who knew Gakuen Alice would be such a great school to go to if you want to have big celebrations. This place won't be as bad as I thought.

"Oi, Ruka" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Why is the fall festival so late in November? It would only be a few weeks until the Christmas ball thing if they do it that late."

"Exactly! They want to party a lot! Isn't it obvious?"

I guess Ruka was right. Well, let's see, what else did I want to ask Ruka about? Oh, yeah!

"Why does Sakura call you Ruka-pyon?" I asked, suddenly remembering how Mikan called Ruka by his nickname earlier.

"U-uh" he stuttered, blushing. "Well, you see, she saw me with Bunny once and since 'pyon' is the sound bunnies make and all, she decided to end my name with that."

"Huh."

"So, why do you call Mikan 'Mikan'?" Ruka asked me, feigning interest. Okay, maybe his interest was real but whatever.

"Simple. Cuz she calls me Hyuuga."

"You two should call each other by your first names.

"Whatever." I watched Ruka as he looked out my window, his eyes widening a bit.

"Hey, Natsume" Ruka asked. I gestured for him to continue. "Let's go outside. Something is happening."

I looked out the window and saw what Ruka had been staring at. It was Koizumi. She had come up to Mikan while she was outside.

"Where's Imai?" I asked. Shouldn't she be with her?

"I just saw her leave a few minutes ago!"

With those words, I quickly made my way downstairs and headed out the front door. Ruka followed me out and we were both hiding behind the fence that separates Koizumi's house from mine.

"NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID SAKURA!" we heard Koizumi screech. "NATSUME PROBABLY THINKS THAT I'M SOME SORT OF EVIL HAG BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"B-but Koizumi…..I-I didn't m-mean t-to!" Mika replied, stuttering like crazy.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHY DON'T YOU GO RUIN SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE, HUH? WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE?"

I watched as tears slid down Mikan's cheeks. But, still, Mikan furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Koizumi. Wow, I didn't know that she could glare.

All of a sudden, Koizumi moved forward and raised her hand at Mikan. 'SLAP!' The sound of the connection of Koizumi's hand and Mikan's cheek echoed throughout the neighborhood. And I couldn't take it anymore.

I jumped up and ran towards Mikan. I noticed her head was looking at the ground, facing the direction Koizumi slapped her. There was a big welt on her right cheek in the shape of a hand. It looked REALLY painful. I could see more tears flowing from her eyes as she lifted her hand to touch her cheek. She flinched when her fingers touched her cheek.

When I got to the two girls, I pushed Koizumi away from Mikan and glared. I then grabbed Mikan by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. I saw pain, anger, sadness, depression, and hopefulness. I knew that the hope had come when she saw me because she gave me a hopeful smile and wiped her eyes, careful not to touch her cheek. Dang, her cheek looked as if it REALLY hurt A LOT! It looked so bad!

I turned towards Koizumi and glared. All Koizumi did was flutter her eyelashes and run to me and hug my arm. She's soooooooooooo annoying!

"Oh, Natsume! You've come here to save me haven't you! Ah, you're such a sweet man! Come on, let's go Natsume!" Koizumi said. She tugged on my arm and tried to leave with me. But I didn't budge.

"How DARE you hit her! She didn't do ANYTHING to you!" I yelled at Koizumi.

She made some sort of a whimpering sound but I could care less. I even noticed that there were a few people stopping to see what was going on.

"And DON'T YOU EVER take your anger out on her!" And with that last sentence, I turned to Mikan, gently took her hand, and walked to my house, calm and stoic as ever.

Aw man, I just blew my top. Now, everyone will see me as 'trying to hide all emotion' when I really don't have to. Well, I USED to not have to try to hide emotion. Now, it was getting hard when I was with Mikan. Great, look what Mikan did in just 2 days. That's crazy!

When I reached the front door, Ruka was next to Mikan, asking her if she was okay. She replied she was fine but we could see that her slap was starting to bruise, turning a sickly shade of purple. I also noticed that we left a dumbfounded Koizumi still standing on the sidewalk in front of her house, watching every move I made. I paid no heed to her and went into the house, Ruka following suit.

My parents gasped once they saw her and so did Misaki for she noticed the bruise in the shape of a hand on her cheek. I told Misaki to get an icepack and bring it to my room and led Mikan up. When we got there, I had Mikan sit on my bed while I examined her cheek. It looked horrible and I knew it wouldn't get any better. I sighed. This Koizumi is an evil witch. I brushed my fingers along it and I heard Mikan whimper a bit, biting her lip so she wouldn't cry. I quickly withdrew my fingers and gave her a concerned look. But all she did was smile.

How can she smile all the time? Really, Koizumi just said the meanest things AND gave her a huge welt on her face and she just smiles? I watched her wince and she wiped the smile off of her face as if it hurt her. And my best guess is that it did.

"Here you go! One ice pack!" Misaki said, coming into the room.

"Thanks" I said. I grabbed the ice pack from her and looked at Misaki thankfully. "Tell mom and dad everything Ruka. And Misaki, tell them about everything at school having to do with Mikan."

The two nodded and did as I told them. I turned my attention back to Mikan once they were out of the room. I looked at the welt and it had worsened. But I looked away for probably just a minute! That's not possible! I raised the icepack to Mikan's cheek and gently put it on her cheek. She winced a bit but didn't move. She knew that this was supposed to help her.

It was silent for a long time. Neither of us said a word. I just concentrated on how much pressure I was putting on Mikan's cheek.

"T-thanks for helping m-me" Mikan whispered all of a sudden. She was looking down and I could tell she was about to cry again.

"No problem" I replied.

I lifted her chin with my free finger and made her look me in the eyes. She gave me a small smile and I used all of my strength just not to smile back. I felt the hand with the ice pack twitch a bit because of the concentration I made to not smile and Mikan's smile faltered as she winced. I panicked and put the icepack down and looked at her with worried eyes.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." Mikan told me, smiling once more.

She suddenly held out her hand as if asking for the icepack. And like a good person, I gave it to her. Great, I'm becoming a 'good person'. Mikan put the icepack to her cheek and closed her eyes, leaning into the icepack. She gave a sigh of content and smiled a little more. I put my hand over hers and looked into her eyes once she opened them. I tried my best not to smile. And luckily, I didn't. All of a sudden, Ruka and Misaki came into the room with mom and dad. But, I just kept on staring at Mikan while she looked at all the people at the door.

"U-uh….I think I'd better get going now" Mikan said while blushing. "G-good bye Hyuuga. See you tomorrow."

And with that, she bowed to my parents, nodded to Misaki and Ruka, and left the room, heading down the stairs. I don't know what came into me, but I suddenly ran down, trying to catch up with her. When I got to her, she was at the door.

"Hey," I called out, breathless.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning towards me with the cutest look ever.

"Be careful."

Mikan smiled at me and nodded. "I will."

She finally left, closing the door behind her. I didn't know when everyone else got downstairs, but I noticed they were watching me when Mikan left. I watched her through the window, making sure she was safe. And when she got to her house, I went upstairs, saying goodnight to everyone without dinner.

**~Chapter 4 End~**

Hey, it's done! Haha! I'm so happy! And I hope that all you people like this chapter! Please review peoples! It will make me soooooooo happy! Well, gotta go! But before that, here's a thank you to all those who have reviewed and/or added me to story alerts and/or their favorites! And those people are….

Jonzz

A101

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

Melyss

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Happy Blossom

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xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Emana Ryan

lemonandapples

So thanks all of you! I will see you all soon! :D

Review please! XD

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	5. Chapter 5

Ye-hah! I'm back with the next chapter! Isn't this great? Of course it is! Well, here's a little twist from the story for this chapter! Hope you like! :D Oh, and since it's winter break for me…more updates! :D

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi.**

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 5~**

~Mikan's POV~

Once I was out of Natsume's house, I walked to mine. I knew that Natsume was looking at me through the window. It was hard NOT to notice it. He just kept on staring at me. I paid no heed to him. I pretended that I didn't notice and made my way into the house.

"Mikan, what happened?" my mother Yuka gasped. She probably noticed that huge bruise on my cheek.

"K-koizumi hit me.." I answered, not looking at her.

When dad heard that, he came into the room, fuming.

"Why in the WORLD would she do that to you?" he shouted, not caring if the neighbors heard.

I mumbled something ineligible and made my way up to my room. I didn't want to talk right now. What Koizumi said really bothered me. I mean, I know that Natsume was right. That she was just a big meanie and she was just insecure. But no matter what, those words were sure to scar me for life. She's such a bully!

I closed the door to my room and sat on my bed. I looked around, commenting on how it looked. The light orange walls complimented the painting of a beautiful Sakura tree in bloom on the left side of the room, its petals gracefully flowing down to the floor. Well, that's what it looked like. But in reality, the petals were frozen in their positions. It was an illusion what made it seem as if the petals were falling. My bed was right next to that painting, in the corner closest to the door. There was a beautiful balcony on the far side of the room, centered, leading to the front of the house. My white curtains were still open so I could see everything outside.

It had gotten dark, so the moon's light was flooding my room, making everything glow with a beautiful silver color. My closet was on the right side of the room, in the farthest corner from the door. It was simple white doors that swung open when you pulled on it. And on the ceiling in the middle of the room, a beautiful light was put up. It wasn't a chandelier, but it was pretty enough to be mistaken as one.

In the right corner near the door, my desk was set up with all of my school utensils and a somewhat big book shelf next to it. All in all, my room looked beautiful and it fit my lifestyle perfectly. If you're wondering, the painting of the Sakura tree wasn't here when we got here. I painted it myself. My parents bought this house so I could do whatever I wanted with my room.

I sighed as I got up off the bed and flicked the light switch on. It was right next to the door. I flopped back down on my bed, burying my face into my pillow. I didn't want to do anything. I felt my cheek going numb because of Koizumi, but I didn't mind it. I don't think it really matters.

After a few minutes, I got off the bed and got ready for bed, taking a shower and dressing myself in a plain white dress with long sleeves that flowed to my ankles. On the top, it hugged my body. And at the waist, it flows out elegantly. I just love this sleeping gown! I stepped out into the balcony, opening the double doors so that I would be able to step out. The curtains ruffled a bit as the wind gently caressed me. I walked the few steps toward the railing and placed my elbows on it, resting my chin in my palms. I was always at peace over here. The way the moon shines at this angle makes me feel very calm. I like it.

I breathed in the night time breeze, smelling the sweet scents in which it carried. I stared at the moon, the stars twinkling around it. I just stared at the moon for who knows how long. And I might have stared at it forever if I didn't hear someone calling to me below me.

"-kura. Sakura?… Oi, little girl! Sakura?" the voice called.

Looking down, I noticed the raven black hair and the crimson eyes of the boy. And I instantly knew it was Natsume.

"Oh, sorry" I said, blushing from being embarrassed when I noticed him. "H-how long were you down there?"

"I dunno…..a few minutes?" he replied, keeping his face stoic.

"Sorry" I muttered.

I couldn't tell if he heard me at first. But when he nodded, I knew he did. I noticed his features as the moon hit him at this angle. He looked flawless. He looked so beautiful. I might have mistaken him for an angel if I didn't know him. I did my best not to stare at him and concentrated back on the moon. You know, if he just smiled, I bet he would look even more beautiful than he already is. I wonder why he's so…so emotionless.

I looked behind me into my room and checked the clock. It read 10:13. How long have I been staring at the moon exactly? Well, I guess I have to sleep now.

"Well, good night. See you tomorrow!" I told Natsume, waving to him comically.

"Hn."

I walked into my room and closed the balcony doors behind me. I looked out once more; first to the moon, then down to Natsume. He was still staring at me, so I gave him a good night smile and slowly closed the curtains.

"Okay," I mumbled quietly, "that was kind of weird…. Why was he staring at me?"

I switched the light off and crawled into bed, burying myself underneath the blankets. And that night, with no feeling in my poor, poor cheek, I fell asleep, peacefully and happily.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP-_

The alarm clock started ringing, waking me from my slumber. I groaned and reached for the clock, clicking it off. Sighing, I sat up and looked around, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes with my hands.

"Time…" I mumbled sleepily, looking at the clock.

It read 7 o'clock. I got out of bed and fixed it, starting my daily routine. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, changed into my uniform, grabbed all of the stuff I'd need for school, and headed downstairs. I sat down at the dining room table with a bowl of cereal in front of me. I heard my mother enter the room and I turned to her, showing her a full on smile.

"Good morning mom!" I said, cheerily as I'll ever be.

But the wrong part about this is that my cheek hurt like CRAZY! My mother turned around to look at me. And when her eyes fell upon me, she gasped and froze on the spot.

"Oh my gosh" she gasped after a second, her eyes wide.

"What?" I asked, completely unaware of what made her act this way.

"Honey, your cheek looks horrible! Here, let me fix it up!" my mom cried, grabbing the first aid kit.

"Mom, it's not that-"

"Exactly how hard did that Koizumi hit you?" mom asked, cutting me off.

"I don't know…..uh…pretty hard?" I answered. "Mom, I'm a fast healer! Don't worry about it! Besides, it can't be that bad!"

"Oh yes it is!" mom said. She grabbed a hand held mirror from who knows where and handed it to me.

My eyes widened when I saw my cheek. It had gone black and blue and it looked AWFUL! I have no idea how to describe this thing! Okay, imagine the worst bruise you ever saw. Now, imagine it worse than that and you got it! It was ugly! How hard DID Koizumi hit me yesterday?

"Holy shiz (A/N: the word I use to avoid cussing.)! A regular slap couldn't do anything like this so I'm pretty sure that her fake nails did part of this. Maybe some got stuck in me?" I said, making a hypothesis of how in the world this had happened.

"Maybe. Well, it's time for you to go if you don't want to be late. But you could stay here and I will examine the bruise. Yeah, just stay here! I'll make it all better!" mom said, holding my wrists while giving me puppy eyes.

"No mom. I have to go. See ya after school! Love ya!" I called, grabbing my bag and running out the door after I grabbed a bandage and covered my cheek with it.

'Shoot! I didn't look at the time!' I thought. 'Oh well, better start running!' I sprinted as fast as I could to school, sitting in my seat as the bell rang.

"Whew" I sighed, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

I noticed I was getting a few worried stares from the people around me. Actually, it was from EVERYONE. Everyone in the class room at least. Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Ruka, Permy, Hotaru, Yuu, Hiroshima and Natsume were all looking at something on my cheek. Oh, I get it! They're looking at the bandage! Oh no, Hotaru's gonna kill me for no telling her!

I let a small smile slip onto my lips, reassuring everyone that I was fine. And then, I looked to the front of the class, watching as Narumi sensei started the lesson by twirling and singing like some sort of weirdo. Now don't get me wrong. I love Narumi sensei! He's like my second father; always there for me and very protective of me. So, I don't mind his weirdness. I'd be lying if I said that I was perfectly normal, not weird at all. Haha!

As soon as the bell rang, I started to pack my stuff to go to the locker room. And as I was doing that, Hiroshima, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Ruka, Yuu, Koko, Permy, and Natsume were all surrounding me, asking questions. Well, Natsume and Hotaru were just staring, but they had concerned, questioning eyes. They just let the others freak out for them.

"Guys, I'm fine! And if we don't get going, we'll be late." I said.

Once everyone heard that, we all headed to the locker rooms as fast as we could without getting in trouble for running. Luckily, we made it just before the bell rang so we all separated and changed into our gym clothes. I ran into Hotaru as I was walking to my number and she gave me a look that said, 'tell me what happened or I will personally send you to hell'. I sweat dropped. Well, I'll have to tell her sometime won't I?

I sighed and continued towards my spot and sat down. Hotaru followed me suit. And then, I explained everything: how I ran into Koizumi after raking the leaves outside and some other random chores I have to do around the house, how she slapped me, how Natsume saved me and tried to help me out, how I practically ran from the house after I'd noticed I'd been staring into Natsume's eyes, everything. I have no idea when, but the rest of the group was out here too: Hiroshima, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Koko, Permy, and Ruka-pyon. The only person missing was Natsume.

"So that's what happened?" Anna practically screamed.

I noticed that not only my friends were listening, but the whole class. Oh no, this can't be good. And guess what made it of all worse. Every single person who heard this story was fuming. So angry, they were a bright shade of red.

"B-but I'm okay now!" I tried to reassure them. "I'm not THAT hurt! No need to go killing people!"

"Whatever you say Mikan" Hotaru hissed through her teeth, trying to keep cool.

I knew that she wouldn't go and kill Koizumi now that I told her that. Because no matter how much she wants to kill someone who hurt me, she wouldn't do it unless I told her to. So, I'm happy. And whatever Hotaru does, everyone follows because she what everyone calls 'the wisest one of us all'. So, everyone turned around in their spots and looked forward, minding their own business once more. My friends went to their own spots too, Hiroshima taking the spot next to me like always.

And that's when Natsume came, walking calmly and stoically to his spot two people in front of me. I gave him a small smile and he nodded in return. Gracefully, he sat on his spot, facing forward as the teacher made his way to us.

"Alright everyone," Reo sensei said, "we are going to play dodge ball."

Reo sensei put his clip board down and gave the class orders to set up the 'field'. So now, people were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to fulfill his orders. I was left on the side lines, watching everyone set up.

And then, I noticed Ruka-pyon and Hotaru running around. Wait a minute, they didn't get any jobs. So…..why are they running around like that? I took a closer look and saw that Hotaru had a picture of someone and she was running AWAY from Ruka-pyon. Ahaha! So THAT'S what's going on! Ruka-pyon is trying to get his picture back! Well, I highly doubt he'll get it back. You know what; Ruka-pyon and Hotaru look cute together. They should be a couple. They would be perfect for each other!

"Oi Sakura" I heard a voice beside me say.

I turned to the voice and saw that it was Natsume.

"Yes, what is it Hyuuga" I answered politely.

"What's going on with them?" He asked, pointing in Hotaru and Ruka-pyon's direction.

"Oh," I said giggling, "Hotaru's just black mailing Ruka-pyon. Don't worry about it. They do this ALL the time!"

"Hn."

"Okay class," Reo sensei caught our attention, "I will separate all of you into two teams."

Reo sensei started reading off the names, starting with team one. Hotaru, Nonoko, Natsume, and Ruka were in it. Me, Anna, Koko, Permy, Yuu and Hiroshi were on the other team. The rest of the class mates we had, I paid no attention to. I was just wondering which of my closest friends were going to be on which team.

"No! Hotaru! You're not on my team!" I cried, trying to hug Hotaru.

"Shut up, baka" she said, hitting me on my head.

"Ow" I mumbled, rubbing the newest sore on my head. Little tears were collecting in the corners of my eyes. "What a friend you are."

"Don't worry Mimi!" Hiroshima comforted me, patting my back. "At least we are on your team!" he said, gesturing to Anna, Nonoko, Permy, Koko, Yuu, and himself.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, smiling brightly. I wrapped my arms around Hiroshima's neck and hugged him REALLY tight. "Hiro, you're my hero!"

"Haha! I get it! Well, you can just call me that from now on, right Mimi?"

"Yeah! It's official!" I answered, pulling away and smiling brightly once more.

Permy and the others on my team surrounded me, giving me high fives with coming up with the awesome nick name. Haha! I can't believe that we hadn't come up with it earlier! I mean its soooo simple! And then, waving good bye to my friends on the other team, I started away to the end of the court. When Reo sensei blew the whistle, everyone started for the balls placed in the middle of the court except for Hiro and I. We just stood near the back, waiting for the 'battle' to start.

And soon enough, dodge balls were flying all around, aimed for a specific person. But the key to dodge ball is to stay still. If you don't move, no one will aim for you. They'll go for someone else. And that's exactly what Hiro and I did. We waited until a few balls rolled over to us and we picked them up and threw them at random directions. And with each ball either of us threw, they hit a person. So, our plan was flawless. No one thought to hit us and we hit a whole bunch of random people. Cool, right? Of course! (A/N: this is a real technique. It really works! I do it all the time! You should try it too!)

Soon, all of it rounded out to only four people on the field, two on each team: Natsume and a random fan girl of his was at the other side of the court while Hiro and I were just standing on our side, figuring out our next moves.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked Hiro, not taking my gaze off of our opponents.

"We should go for one at a time at the same time. That way, we'd most likely be able to get both of them out easier" he replied.

"Okay, so who's first to go?"

"Let's go for the fan girl. She's an easy target."

So, we did just that. We threw our dodge balls from two different directions and both of them hit her. She had been cornered, nowhere to run. So now, she was out and that left…

"Natsume…" I mumbled, wondering just how good his dodge ball skills were.

Suddenly, Natsume threw a ball at me. It was a fast one, but I was able to dodge it by ducking. I made eye contact with Hiro and he nodded, a telepathic understanding flowing between us. At the same time, we threw our dodge balls at Natsume and got him out. Our team burst out into cheers, lifting Hiro and I onto their shoulders. I was laughing like crazy, screaming 'We won!' and stuff like that. And Natsume looked at us as if we were mad.

"Hyuuga, don't mind us! We are just weird (A/N: I always say this! :D) like this! No problem!" I screamed over the shouts of jubilation.

Natsume nodded, and turned away, heading back to his own group, as if he were so depressed that he lost. Funny, I never knew that a guy like Natsume would be depressed because he lost a dodge ball game. Well, that just explains how good I know him.

After the weird fest was over, all of us students went into the locker rooms to change. When I was done, I locked my locker and headed outside; walking towards the mound that the group and I always sat on when we just got out of P.E. class. Natsume soon joined me, sitting next to me without a word of acknowledgement. He just nodded to me and then looked around. I have no idea what he was looking for, but I wasn't about to 'distract' him for what he was looking for.

"Mikan!" I heard an overly bubbly voice call.

I looked up and saw Anna and Nonoko making their way towards Natsume and I with Hiro, Yuu, Sumire and Koko. I waved to them and smiled. I noticed Natsume's eyes on me, but I paid no heed to that. I don't think it really meant anything.

"Good job at the dodge ball tournament today!" Nonoko and Anna chorused, smiling like mad men.

"Thanks! But, Hiro was a big part of it too!" I said, pointing to the said guy with what must have been an innocent look on my face.

"Nah, you were the one who had the most skill!" Hiro said, blushing.

I was about to tell him that he was wrong when Hotaru came up to us and said, "Just shut up you two. You were equally great."

The bell rang, signaling us to get to our next class. And that, we did.

**~Lunch Time~**

I was sitting down at the big Sakura tree behind the middle school division of Gakuen Alice with Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Kitsu, Permy, Koko, Tsubasa senpai, Misaki senpai, Youichi, Hotaru, Ruka, and Natsume. We were all peacefully eating our lunch together, chatting animatedly, laughing every once in a while when someone made an awkward jokes.

Now you all may be wondering how awkward jokes can be funny. But let me tell you this: they ARE funny because whenever there's an awkward silence, it's so weird that you just can't help laughing. So, here we all are, laughing our heads off after Koko said, "So, how's the relationship between Ruka and Hotaru?"

And you have to admit that they would make the cutest couple! I swear they would! They are PERFECT for each other. And you know what they say: opposites attract. Anyways, there was the longest awkward silence between Hotaru and Ruka; I couldn't help just busting up laughing! I knew that everyone was laughing too; except for Hotaru and Ruka. And I could tell that Natsume wanted to laugh so hard, except he didn't show any emotion; though, I could see this certain glint in his eyes, telling me that he was somewhat amused of Koko's observations and weird questions.

And that was the rest of my awesome school day: talking, chatting, laughing, awkward silences, bored out of my mind when the teacher wouldn't shut up; you know, that kind of stuff. And not to mention that Hiro and I hung out A LOT because of him being gone for so long yesterday. He and I are best friends. Maybe even more that Hotaru and I are. Well, I don't care! Haha, today was fun!

**~Chapter 5 End~**

So, I'm finished with this chapter! And I hope that all of you liked reading in Mikan's POV! As you can see, she's soooooooo innocent! Like how I used to be! Haha! JK, I'm still pretty innocent! :D Anyways, I wanna say thanks to all of those who have reviewed, added me to their faves, story alerts, author alerts, or all of the above! And those people are:

uglyME7

lightXdarkness

zenophobiaz

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Annerlise922x

mikan-kawaii-sakura

Nynjagirl- srry if this thnx is kind of…..late.. :D

xXBluefangXx- srry, late thnx! :D

IceSherbert

Emana Ryan

shimahiko4ever

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Jonzz

Well, keep reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter! :D Remember to review! I really need it! It boosts my self esteem! I want at least 10 before I post the next chapter, please! If I get 15, that'd be great! So please review! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, I'm back! I know I said I wanted 10 reviews before I put the next chapter up… but I couldn't help it! You all are sooooo nice! So, here's a early Christmas present! BE HAPPY! Well, I guess I'll have to put up a whole bunch of corny stuff! Haha, so here it goes! :D

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters. They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi!**

**Last Time on Two Doors Down…**

(Haha, corny! :D)

And that was the rest of my awesome school day: talking, chatting, laughing, awkward silences, bored out of my mind when the teacher wouldn't shut up; you know, that kind of stuff. And not to mention that Hiro and I hung out A LOT because of him being gone for so long yesterday. He and I are best friends. Maybe even more that Hotaru and I are. Well, I don't care! Haha, today was fun!

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 6~**

~Natsume's POV~

Damn that Hiro!

I could barely control my anger and…..jealousy…throughout the day as Mikan kept on going Hiro this and Hiro that! Ugh, if she likes him this much, why shouldn't she marry him? Wait, scratch that! DON'T MARRY HIM! Great, I'm loosing my mind! I'm tried my best throughout the day to NOT rip Hiroshima's head off. But I couldn't help glaring at him. I gave him the stink eye, glared, talked to him coldly, it's not like I don't always do that, but whatever! Damn it! That damn Hiroshima is annoying the hell out of me!

Ruka, Hotaru, Nonoko, Kitsu, Koko, Sumire, Anna, Yuu, Hiroshima, Misaki, Tsubasa, Mikan and I were making our way to our homes since school just finished. Mikan and Hiroshima keep on talking like they have nothing to worry about; as if they're the most best friends in the world. And it's getting annoying. Oh, wait, it already is annoying. I huffed.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, trying to look impassive as we all walked along to our houses. I was having a hard time controlling my emotions so that none of it would show on my face. And soon, it was the intersection where all of us would split into two groups and head in different directions.

"Bye Hiro, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Permy….everyone going that way!" Mikan said enthusiastically, waving cutely to all of her friends.

"Bye" all of the meant people said in unison. Misaki and I stayed quiet.

And then, we all headed off, walking along the road to our houses. I noticed that as we got closer to Mikan's house, I saw a woman standing outside Mikan's house. She had cropped honey brown hair like Mikan's and hazel eyes. Her facial features were like Mikan's too. She must be her mom.

"Mikan, sweetie," she called when we got into hearing range, "how's your cheek?" I noticed the concern in her voice. Could it really be that bad?

"Its fine, mom!" Mikan answered, cheery as ever.

Her mom came up to all of us before Misaki and I could reach the path to our house.

"Hi, you must be the new neighbors! I'm Yuka Sakura, Mikan's mom!" she greeted. She was so cheerful. So, this may be where Mikan got all the energy. "And she doesn't get all of her energy from me. You should meet her dad" she said as if reading my mind.

"I'm Misaki" my sister piped up. "Misaki Hyuuga. And this is my brother Natsume Hyuuga. It's nice to meet you."

Misaki shook the lady's hand and I nodded to her in greeting.

"Well, I hope you like it here! C'mon sweetie" Yuka-san said, turning around and leading Mikan into her home.

"Bye, see you tomorrow!" Mikan called, waving a bit.

I nodded while Misaki waved back. Then, we went into the house and greeted out parents. I headed upstairs to do my homework, thinking of how annoying Hiroshima is. If he wasn't so close to Mikan, how would she respond to me? Would she actually start calling me by my first name? Hah, if I wanted her to call me by my first name, I could just tell her. But how would I say it? Saying 'just call me Natsume' would be weird. I'm not the type to just say something as random as that. Well, it's not random, but it's kind of a weird thing to say. Only energetic, NOT socially awkward people would say that. Misaki's right, I AM socially awkward.

I sighed as I finished my homework. This is annoying. We got out at 2 and it's only 3:30. I can't believe I finished my homework that fast, especially when all the teachers decided to pile homework on all of us today. Well, whatever. I changed into a pair of dark blue denim shorts and a red t-shirt. I slipped on some socks and converse, black of course, and went downstairs.

"Hey, mom, dad, you mind if I go out?" I asked, heading for the front door.

"No, not at all sport" dad answered, looking up from his laptop. "Just be back by 6 okay?"

"Hn" I answered. I opened the door and stepped out.

As I closed the door behind me, I wondered how long it would take until Koizumi would come out and ruin my day. I haven't seen her all day, thank god, and I really hope that it stays that way.

I walked down the road towards the school. I noticed that there was some sort of park along the way and I was kind of curious as to how it was like. So, I made my way there. Its distance was somewhere in the middle of my house and Gakuen Alice. And it didn't take long to find myself walking along the long path of the park, big Sakura trees lining the walk way. Petals flitted down as the wind made the trees' branches sway. It was beautiful.

I was just walking, looking around when I noticed a figure sitting down at the base of a huge Sakura tree. It was probably the biggest tree in the park. Anyways, I saw a figure of a girls sitting there. As I got closer, I noticed that her eyes were closed. I was just going to walk away before I got another annoying fan girl chasing after me (yeah, I already have a fan club…got a problem with it?) when I noticed that the girl was Mikan.

I made my way toward her as quietly as I could. Luckily, I'm pretty quiet, so she didn't notice me until I tapped her on the shoulder. I smirked as she snapped her eyes open and jumped at my touch. A small gasp escaped her perfect lips and her eyes flickered up to meet mine. And then, she let out a little sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's only you" she said while raising a hand to her heart and looking at the ground, "I thought it was some sort of weirdo come to rape me."

I raised an eyebrow at her as she said that. A weirdo come to rape her? Who the hell would do that? And then, I took a good look at her. Okay, it wasn't that impossible. She wore an black skirt that ended mid thigh and a white shirt that hugged her curves, her hair pulled into two pigtails with her ribbons and black flats. I could see why someone would want to rape her. She's gorgeous! Okay, stop thinking about this Hyuuga. Oh gosh, that really came out wrong….

"What? That impossible?" Mikan asked me, cocking her head to the side and giving me the cutest confused look ever.

I just shook my head, looking away from her and to the ground. I sat next to her, looking around at the scenery in front of me. We were at a more secluded area of the park. That meant we were sitting at the edge of the park, looking at huge spaces of rolling hills and grass lands, trees and shrubs here and there. It was the perfect place you could go to if you wanted to relax.

The two of us sat there in a comfortable silence, just staring at the scenery before us. We were watching the sun set when Mikan gasped, jumped up, and started fast-walking. I looked to her, an eyebrow raised.

"It's almost six," she explained, "I have to get back home!"

Six, six, six…..why'd that ring a bell?

"Crap" I muttered as I stood up. "I gotta get going too."

"Really?" Mikan asked. She was a little ahead of me, walking a little bit faster than a regular person.

"Yeah" I said. I started walking, putting my hand in my pocket as if I didn't care if I were a little late. And I didn't.

"What time do you have to be back, Hyuuga? Six?"

"Hn."

"But that's in five minutes!"

And she was right. The sun was low on the horizon and shadows were being cast throughout the park. It's not very smart for the both of us to be out at night, so I started to walk faster.

"Then we should hurry up Sakura" I said in a nonchalant voice.

She fell behind me as I said this, watching me. She smiled and ran up to meet my pace. The both of us got to our houses about five after six, due to us lollygagging. I made sure Mikan got into her house before going into mine. When I got in, I met the worried face of my mother, hovering over the door.

"I'm home" I stated.

"Thank goodness!" My mom cried, hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe. "I thought you were kidnapped or something! I was sooooo worried!"

"I'm fine" I managed to say, giving her an awkward hug back.

"What took you so long for you to come home? Are you okay? Did you get hurt? What happened? Why so late? You know the sun has set! It's not safe for a kid like you to be alone at ni-"

"I wasn't alone" I cut my mother off of her rant.

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Then who were you with?"

I mumbled something ineligible.

"What?"

"Mikan Sakura!" I said louder than I meant to.

"Ooh, are we talking about Mikan?" Misaki asked way too cheerfully, popping up out of no where.

"No!" I said, panicking a bit.

"Oh, Mikan's so cute!" Misaki started as if she didn't hear me. "She's the sweetest little thing ever! I think that every dude that's in her grade has a crush on her! Speaking of crushes….."

"What?" I said, noticing Misaki's evil gaze on me.

"You were hanging out with Mikan, huh? So, what did you do?"

"Nothing. Sat. Talked."

"Uhuh, sure, whatever you say."

"You mean Natsume has a crush!" My mom screamed. And then dad came in.

"Who's the unlucky- I mean, who's the lucky girl?" dad asked.

"It's Mikan Sakura!" Misaki said cheerfully, loud as ever.

"Do not!" I defended myself.

"Well, she better be a pretty one, 'cuz not any girl deserves my Natsume" my mom stated, crossing her arms.

"She's beautiful mom!" Misaki said. "She's the most adorable creature in the world! If you were ever to meet her, you'd so love her! Plus, you already met her."

"Oooh, I wanna meet her now!" Mom and Dad chorused.

"You already met her! Don't you remember?"

My parents shook their heads as if they were little kids.

"Sigh, oh well. Anyways, let's do it now! Natsume knows where she lives! She's just two doors down!" Misaki said.

"Let's go!"

I found myself with my family at the front door of the Sakura's. I tried to run away, but my dad has a firm grip on my shoulders, so I can't move. They made up a plan to say that we're all sorry and that it was my fault that Mikan came in late. And they did ALL that just to meet Mikan Sakura. What freaks.

When they answered the door, we were greeted with a pleasant "Hello."

My father greeted all of us and we introduced ourselves. Mom then explained why we were here and they held me out as if I were a peace offering or some crap like that. What the heck were they doing?

"Nice to meet you" the woman that must have been Mikan's mom said. She had cropped light brown hair and hazel eyes. "I'm Yuka Sakura, Mikan's mom! And it's fine! We're just healing her cheek."

"Oh no, was it that bad? We saw her yesterday when Natsume here took her into our house to help out, but it didn't look so bad." Mom stated. Tch, she just said she didn't remember Mikan.

"Unfortunately, yes. We're putting disinfectant on it so she won't get an infection."

As if on cue, we heard a voice whimper on the other side of Yuka-san. Yuka-san looked behind her and we all watched as her eyes softened from the sight she saw.

"Would you like to come in?" Mikan's mom asked.

"We would love to," my mother said politely.

We made our way inside and followed Mikan's mom to the living room. We saw a man with dark brown hair and honey brown eyes working on Mikan's cheek as she sat on his lap, back towards us. Mikan winced as her father dabbed at her cheek. And boy was her mom right! Her cheek looks way worse than yesterday!

"Mikan, dear, you friend and his family are here to see you" Yuka-san said.

I watched Mikan try to hide her pain as she slid off of her dad's lap turning around so she could see us. She showed all of us a smile, but it quickly melted away. It must be her cheek. Damn it! That Koizumi is gonna pay!

"Wait, Mimi, I'm almost done" her dad said.

The man stood up and put what looked like Neosporin on her cheek and bandaged her up. Mikan looked like she whispered something like "thanks, dad" as he finished up. Her dad smiled at her.

"Honey, these are the Hyuuga's. They just moved in to the house two doors down from ours." Mikan's mom explained.

"Nice to meet you" Mikan's dad said after we all introduced ourselves. "I'm Izumi Sakura, Mikan's dad!"

Wow, both of her parents are pretty energetic. So this is pretty much where she gets her energy from….

"So, apparently Mikan was late because Natsume here" Mikan's mom gestured to me, "was keeping her company."

"Oh, okay. I guess you're off the hook Mikan" her dad said, smiling at his daughter. "You know you got us pretty worried. We had no idea where you were. You never do tell us where you always disappear to."

"Haha, sorry dad!" Mikan exclaimed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "It's just that it is…I mean WAS my secret place. Natsume discovered it earlier."

"Uhuh…" her dad drawled. "Okay, well, it's nice to finally meet the new neighbors!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too!" Mom and Dad chorused.

We all talked for a bit until we decided we all should get back to our own home. We all said our good byes and went back home.

"Well, that Mikan girl seems soooooooo nice!" Mom screamed once we got to the house. "And she's pretty too! I like her! Natsume, you made a great choice!"

"Hey! I didn't say anything about choices! And like Misaki said, YOU ALREADY MET HER!"

"Oh, quit freaking Natsume!" Misaki said, patting my head.

"Shut up!"

"Haha, my boy's growing up!" Dad patted my back.

I sighed and ran upstairs and locked myself in my room without dinner….again. I couldn't stand listening to my so called 'family' make fun of me that way. It's just annoying. Tch, I might as well go to sleep. So, I took a shower and brushed my teeth and went to bed. Heh, I guess this won't be that bad… a new life, new school, new house…I would be happier if my family didn't make fun of me, but still…I could get used to this. And the best part of this….Mikan Sakura.

**~Chapter 6 End~**

Yay! All done! Well, I hope that you all liked this chapter! And now, I will say thank you to all those who have reviewed! Those people are….

OoO-Ashee-OoO

SCARlettchErLOTtes

Jonzz

Emana Ryan

Melyss

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Kura Kasshoku Koneko

Kylee-Cat

Well, I just want to let you know that next time, I will have the chapter be fast forwarded to the next school year! So, have fun, scream at the sky, and shampoo a squirrel! Happy days! Oh, and happy holidays! I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging out! :D


	7. Chapter 7

Oh-llo! I'm back! Haha, well, let's get on with the chapter! Oh, and from now on, I will be putting up my corny intro all the time! Haha, enjoy! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the story line and the characters that I oh so randomly make up! So take a chill pill and happy reading peoples! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(I love this part! Haha :D)

"Well, that Mikan girl seems soooooooo nice!" Mom screamed once we got to the house. "And she's pretty too! I like her! Natsume, you made a great choice!"

"Hey! I didn't say anything about choices!"

"Oh, quit freaking Natsume!" Misaki said, patting my head.

"Shut up!"

"Haha, my boy's growing up!" Dad patted my back.

I sighed and ran upstairs and locked myself in my room without dinner….again. I couldn't stand listening to my so called 'family' make fun of me that way. It's just annoying. Tch, I might as well go to sleep. So, I took a shower and brushed my teeth and went to bed. Heh, I guess this won't be that bad… a new life, new school, new house…I would be happier if my family didn't make fun of me, but still…I could get used to this. And the best part of this….Mikan Sakura.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 7~**

~Natsume's POV~

Time skip…Fall of sophomore year….

Well, the new school year has started and I'm a freshman. Mikan is still, amazingly, in all of my classes. The schedule hasn't really changed…actually, it hasn't changed for us at all. It's all the same classes, class mates, teachers, and stuff. And I'm happy for it. But the sucky part is that we all still have the same teachers. Ugh, someone kill me now! Sigh, oh well.

Heh, it's November. And you know what that means. My birthday is in this month and I'm turning 14 (A/N: if you hadn't noticed, Natsume came to GA in the middle of the year….well actually spring. So, he didn't turn 14 yet. I hope I'm not confusing you all!). Not only that, but we have a Fall Festival and we are all planning it. Right now, the whole homeroom class is trying to find out good ideas for our booth. Well, I don't know if it's a booth. So, we can call it an 'attraction'.

"Hey, why don't we make a huge ride or something?" a random class mate of mine shouted.

"NO! We should put on a play!" another argued.

"Game! Game! Game!" Koko chanted. Wait, what the hell? Why did he only say that? He sounds really retarded right now.

"We can just do one so choose wisely…." That gay Narumi said, sweat dropping.

I sighed. These people need to calm down. What's so amazing about this 'Fall Festival' anyways? It's not like its broadcasted city wide and it is actually amazingly awesome every year….is it?

"Hey, we have to choose wisely my students!" Narumi said, trying to calm the class. Soon, they all settled down into their seats. "Of course, like every year, this will be broadcasted city wide and it needs to be amazingly awesome just like every year!"

I sweat dropped. Okay, maybe I was wrong….. But whatever, it's not like it was THAT huge. Maybe Narumi is just over exaggerating.

"And I'm NOT over exaggerating! This needs to be the greatest one we've put on yet!"

….Whatever.

"So, whatever we are doing, it needs to be SPECTACULAR!"

All of a sudden, all eyes turned towards the seat beside me. I looked and saw Mikan fiddling with her fingers as if she trying NOT to be noticed. Too bad it didn't work.

"MIKAN!" the whole class screamed.

By now, Mikan was sweating a LOT while fidgeting in her seat.

"Why don't you sing for us Mikan?" Narumi said, eyes glowing. He clasped his hands like the gay he is. "It will be perfect! We'll get such good ratings!"

"U-uh…. S-sure?" Mikan stuttered, looking up to meet the gaze of her class mates.

"YEAH! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!" I covered my ears as the whole class jumped up and down, putting Mikan on their shoulders and shouting in jubilation. Wow, who knew they could celebrate just because she said she could sing?

Mikan was laughing as everyone tossed her up and down…except for me and Imai. We weren't into celebrations. Actually, Imai was playing with some sort of gun thing…..what the hell?

BAKA-BAKA-BAKA

And everyone put Mikan down, backing away from Imai.

"Calm down idiots. We still need to prepare" Imai said in a stoic voice, blowing the tip of her new gun.

"Hotaru," Mikan called, making her way to Imai, "What's that?"

"It's my new Baka gun. I made it myself. It uses compacted air and shoots anyone who is being a baka."

"…..oh…"

Everyone went back to their seats, attention on Narumi. When Mikan sat next to me, I raised an eyebrow, as if asking her 'what the hell was that?' Mikan just shrugged.

"Okay then…" Narumi started, "What song shall she sing?"

"She should sing something people like to dance to and stuff!" Hiroshima said.

"YEAH!" the class shouted except for me, Mikan and Imai.

"I-I can sing Firework by Katie Perry….if you want…" Mikan piped up.

"That's perfect! But, you should choose one more Mikan!" Narumi told her.

"Ummmmm…..what about Demmi Lovato's Me, Myself and Time?" Mikan suggested.

"Yeah! Okay, we have to start decorations!" Narumi started droning on and on about who was going to make the stage decorations and effects.

I turned towards Mikan and asked, "So you can sing? Heh, I didn't know that little girl."

"I'm not a little girl" she pouted. "We're in high school for goodness sake! And….well…I'm not THAT awesome…it's just that everyone thinks so…so…."

"Hn."

"So are you excited for your first Fall Festival Hyuuga?" yes, she still calls me Hyuuga and I call her Sakura…. Got a problem with that?

"Not really…." I replied.

"You should be! This festival is sooooo cool! There are so many attractions and games…it's amazing!"

"Yeah, I just think you're over exaggerating like Narumi over there."

"Hey, Narumi sensei and I are not! It's true! It is televised city wide and people come into the school and try out the festival every year! And they say they have a blast!"

"Yeah, yeah. If it is, then why haven't I heard of it until now?"

"Maybe it's because you were so antisocial."

"Tch, am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Before we could get anymore involved in out little argument, Imai shot us with her new Baka gun.

BAKA-BAKA

I rubbed the sore spot on my head as I glared at Imai. She just looked at Mikan and I like we were stupid. "You two stop fighting. Everyone already left to get started on their parts of the project."

"Wait, they left?" I asked. Okay, now I'm confused.

"Well," Mikan began as Imai walked out of the class room, "During the preparation of the Fall Festival, there are no classes. We all work on our parts of the attractions in our homeroom class until the festival. It's a really big thing, so we have no school so we could prepare for the festival. Get it?"

"Yeah." I sighed.

"Well, I need to practice. You wanna come with me?"

"….sure."

"Okay, come on!" and Mikan started dragging me. I noticed that we were going to the music room. Well, duh! That's were we could find instruments!

Once we got there, Mikan grabbed a guitar and started strumming it, tuning it. Then, she turned on the computer and searched 'guitar chords for Fireworks'. When she found it, she started strumming the chords. Wow, I didn't know she could play guitar. But what made me confused was that she didn't sing, she just play the guitar. When she was done, she got up and went to the piano in the corner of the room. She sat down and started to play the other song: Me, Myself and Time. And once again, she didn't sing, just played.

"Hey, Sakura, why aren't you singing?" I asked her, sitting down on the piano bench next to her.

She continued playing as she answered, "I don't want anyone to hear me sing yet. I'll wait until the festival. I'll practice at home."

"Hn."

I watched Mikan play until she got all the notes right, just like with the guitar. It was about lunch time when she finished and I realized that I was just staring at her the entire time.

"C'mon! I need to talk to the back stage manager!" Mikan told me, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the spot where our class's booth would be put.

I noticed that they were making a stage, running around, hammering, sawing….Wow, these people really work hard.

"Hotaru!" Mikan called, waving to Imai with the hand that wasn't holding mine. Imai had on a headset that could communicate with others and a clip board in her hands. She was scribbling down some notes until she looked up to see us.

"What" Imai asked, putting down her pen. Though, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Do you mind if I have a band?" Mikan asked, letting go of my hand and clasping her hands together, begging Imai.

"Sure. Who will be part of it?"

"Anna, Nonoko, Hiro, and Koko? I just need to ask them if it's fine."

"Alright" Imai talked into her headset and called for the said people.

Soon, they all came and saluted Imai like weirdoes. "Yes, ma'am!" they chorused.

"You will be part of Mikan's band. You all need to practice for the festival because if this sucks, I will personally send you all to the devil." Imai said.

I shivered like the others. Damn, Imai can be scary.

"Now go!" and Imai got back to her work.

"Okay guys! Here's the practice schedule: We will practice every school day in the music room. On Saturdays, we will practice at my house. I will not sing in school so that the competition doesn't know how good we are. I will only sing at my house. Everyone got it?" Mikan said, looking to everyone.

They all nodded they started to walk to the music room. Mikan turned to me and smiled when she noticed I wasn't following.

"Come on Hyuuga! What are you standing around for?" and she grabbed my hand once more and led me to the music room along with the others.

"Ready?" Koko asked, situating himself at the drums.

Anna was at the back up guitar, Nonoko would be playing any other instrument needed during the songs and Hiroshima was playing the bass guitar. Mikan was at lead guitar.

"Yeah!" everyone said.

"Alright!" and Koko started playing along with Mikan, Hiro, Anna and Nonoko.

**Day before the Fall Festival**

I walked to the park, hoping that Mikan was at our Sakura tree. Yeah, the tree is now, officially, ours. We hang out there with each other whenever we can. It's mostly if we need to relax…or if I'm dying to see her. And let me tell you, it's been a lot lately. I don't know when I started to feel this way, but whenever I see Mikan, I have this urge to take her in my arms and kiss her….it's weird. She just looks so innocent and beautiful…..Ugh! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself!

Sighing, I just kept walking to the Sakura tree. When I got there, I saw Mikan, strumming her guitar while looking at a sheet of music, the light of the setting sun making her look more angelic than ever. She wore a pink shirt with short, poofy sleeves and an orange skirt. Her hair was tied up into pigtails, like always. On her feet were black flats. I made my way over to her while checking my own clothes. Just some black jeans and a white shirt with converse….ugh, whatever. It's not like I look ugly.

~Mikan's POV~

I was looking at my sheet music, playing my guitar when I heard a twig snap. I turned my gaze to the point of the noise and saw Natsume. I caught my breath. He looked…..wow. His hair was as messed up as it always was and the way the light reflected off of his white shirt, it looked as if all the colors of the sunset were on him. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was so…so…oh my gawd!

Figuring I should do something, I gave him a warm smile as he strode over to me, hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here Hyuuga?" I asked him as he sat down next to me.

"Sitting." Was his oh, so brilliant answer.

"Nah, really?" I asked, sarcasm ringing in my voice.

"Yeah, got a problem with it?"

I just sighed and shook my head. I continued to practice the songs for the Fall Festival, seeing that it's tomorrow. The two of us sat in comfortable silence. The only noise was me playing my guitar as the wind rustled the leaves in the trees around us, grass swaying. I felt butterflies in my stomach as Natsume sat beside me. Why does he make me feel this way? I just pushed the thought aside. I didn't want to say anything that would ruin everything so I stayed quiet, strumming more.

"So are you ready?" Natsume asked all of a sudden.

"H-huh?" I asked, completely confuzzled (A/N: that means confused. :D).

"The Fall Festival. You ready?"

"Oh…uh, yeah. I'm ready." I said, setting down my guitar on the side Natsume wasn't sitting on.

The two of us sat, watching the sunset like we did almost every night. Why does he make me feel this way? Natsume, I mean. He makes me feel so warm and fuzzy….butterflies keep on fluttering around in my stomach….This feeling…I've never felt it before….could it be? Th-that I…l-like him? Well, it's not impossible. He is so sweet sometimes even though he can act like a complete jerk. He's always there for me whenever Koizumi tries to make my life a living hell…he's smart, handsome, kind, thoughtful..Okay Mikan! STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!

I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning against the trunk of the big Sakura tree. Hmm….I wonder how he feels about his first Fall Festival here at Gakuen Alice.

"Ne, Hyuuga-" I was cut off by him.

"Call me Natsume" he said.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. I noticed that he was looking at me too. Wow, that was random. And then, I started laughing. He looked at me like I was a complete maniac.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Haha! Heh, sorry! Hah! That was just….soooo random! Hahahahaha!" I held onto my tummy. It started to ache because of all the laughing I did.

It took a little to calm myself down. But once I did, I sat back up and wiped a tear from my eye. I took a deep breath and looked at Natsume before giving him a big smile.

"Well, Natsume" Wow! It felt so good to say his name! I thought I saw his eyes widen for a fraction of a second, but, hey, I could be wrong. "You should call me Mikan!"

"….Mikan" he repeated.

When he said my name, it sounded like a song. It sent shivers down my spine and made the butterflies already occupying my stomach flutter even faster. My heart beat sped up too and I felt like I was on cloud 9. Oh my gosh, I must be in love…I love him! Holy shiz! Okay Mikan, calm down! Don't freak out!

"S-so…" I stuttered. Dang it! Why'd I have to stutter? "How do you feel about your first Fall Festival here? Are you excited?"

"I guess…." Was his oh so brilliant answer.

"Okay! I hope that you find it fun! I always do…" I trailed off, staring off into the rolling hills that were starting to cover the sun as it set on the horizon.

"Yeah…" Natsume replied.

"It's really beautiful isn't it? …The sunset! I mean…" I said, looking to me.

"Yeah" he replied. But the weird thing was that he was looking at me, not the sunset. He just started at me with those enchanting crimson eyes. It felt as if he were looking into my soul. And I found it really hard not to stare into his eyes.

I don't know how long I've been staring at him….and I don't really care. All I see is him: Natsume Hyuuga. Heh, my first crush…I'm pretty sure it's just a crush. I'm not sure if I really love him. It's just a crush I think. I'm sure it'll pass…..or not…maybe….oh I don't know! I just don't care anymore!

When I finally broke eye contact with him, the sun was already low on the horizon and the shadows of night were creeping upon us.

"Oh no! I'm late! I need to go!" I told Natsume, grabbing my guitar and sheet music.

Natsume stood up and dusted his pants off. "I'll walk you home…if you want."

I smiled at him sweetly and replied, "Thank you, Natsume!"

The both of us hurried home and he walked me to the door. Aww, he's so sweet!

"Well," I breathed, "See you tomorrow Natsume."

"Hn." And with that, I opened the door and he walked down the walkway and to his house.

Before I closed the door, he looked back at me, so, I smiled to him; a warm, meaningful smile. And then, I closed the door. I put my stuff upstairs in my room and went into the dining room and sat down in my seat after I washed up, greeting my parents.

"So, were you hanging out with Natsume again?" Mom asked me.

"U-uh, yeah…I was." I replied, putting some food on my plate.

"So, what did you do?" Dad asked, giving me a suspicious look.

"Oh, you know" I drawled, "the regular. Watching the sunset…talking."

"You two seem to be getting closer." My mom pointed out the obvious. Though, I didn't tell her that. Her feelings would have been hurt. "So, are you on first name basis yet?"

"Uh.." I started. I remembered how Natsume said my name and it sent the butterflies fluttering all over again. "Y-yeah."

The rest of dinner, we talked of our day and how practice for the festival went. My mom kept on bringing up topics about Natsume. Heh, I guess she likes him more than I thought. When we were done, we cleared off the table and did the dishes. After, I told them good night and got ready for bed: showering, brushing my teeth, changing into pajamas, the usual. I slipped on some gray shorts and a long sleeved white shirt for my pajamas. It was super comfy, so I liked to wear it.

I slipped into bed, waiting for sleep to take me. Tomorrow's the big day: the start of the festival. I wonder how Natsume will like it. I hope he has fun. You know what? I'll show him all of the fun things there are! Yeah! And maybe, just maybe, he'll smile. I never saw him smile…I wonder how he looks like when he smiles. Why doesn't he smile? I guess that's a question I have to ask him. Yeah, just you wait Natsume Hyuuga! I'll make you smile, if it's the last thing I do! And with that, I fell asleep, a small smile of my own gracing my lips.

**~Chapter 7 End~**

Yay! It's finished! So, if any of you have any questions, just ask me in a review or PM me okay! And I hope you all like this chapter! Cuz, to me, it sucked! Well, here's a thank you to all who reviewed! And those people are:

pinkfab112

MikanxNatsume4EVER

Emana Ryan

PaRaDiSe iN RaRo

Jonzz

OoO-Ashee-OoO

mikan-kawaii-sakura

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

lemonandapples

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Kura Kasshoku Koneko

Annerlise922x

Melyss

Fallen Natsu-chan

Well, I hope you all have happy holidays! Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Ta-ta! :D Oh, and I'll update tomorrow! I promise! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	8. Chapter 8

Hey! I'm back with the next chapter! So, are you ready? If you're not, then GO AWAY! Haha, jk! Seriously, don't go away. Just read. Please? Anyways, here's that corny intro that all of you seem to love! :D…after the disclaimer! ^-^'

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the story line and the made up characters that I just love to randomly make!

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(U know u love it! :D)

I slipped into bed, waiting for sleep to take me. Tomorrow's the big day: the start of the festival. I wonder how Natsume will like it. I hope he has fun. You know what? I'll show him all of the fun things there are! Yeah! And maybe, just maybe, he'll smile. I never saw him smile…I wonder how he looks like when he smiles. Why doesn't he smile? I guess that's a question I have to ask him. Yeah, just you wait Natsume Hyuuga! I'll make you smile, if it's the last thing I do! And with that, I fell asleep, a small smile of my own gracing my lips.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 8~**

~Mikan's POV~

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. I sat up and looked at my clock and read the time: 6 o'clock. Why'd I have to wake up so early again? Oh yeah! I had to get ready for my concert! I hopped out of bed and took a shower, untangling my hair so that it would be easier to fix. I stepped out of the shower 10 minutes later and wrapped a towel around my hair and body. I treaded back to my room and went to my closet, pulling the doors open. I carefully got the black dress bag on the hanger out of the closet and set it on the bed. I made sure that the curtains to the balcony were closed before I put on the dress.

The dress was absolutely stunning. It was a red satin dress that ended mid thigh, strapless. It had a bow on the left side on the waist too. It complimented my body, hugging every curve just right. All in all, it looked gorgeous! (A/N: if you want to look at it, then Google image red prom dresses. Then scroll down to the sixth column. It's the last dress. It's under the words 'Page 3'). After I was finished putting it on, I grabbed my black strappy heels and slipped them on. I really hope that I don't trip on them when I'm on stage! But…they're not really high. They are only about two inches, maybe less. The only reason why I'm wearing it is because Hotaru said that it was what looked best with the dress.

I heard someone coming up the stairs and before I knew it, Hotaru was in my room.

"Who let you in?" I asked her, sitting down on my bed after fixing it.

"Your mom" she answered me, setting up a make up kit on the ground next to me. Then, she stood up and motioned me to the bathroom. "Let's fix your hair."

When we got to the bathroom, I put on a robe while I took the towel off of my hair so that the dress wouldn't get messed up. Hotaru smoothed it out. I watched her work, untangling my hair and putting in a few hair products that would make my hair cooperate with her. Then, she blow dried it. Once it was done, she combed my hair out again and grabbed a curling iron from underneath the sink. I watched as ringlets were made into my hair. It look soooo pretty! When she finished curling it, Hotaru tied a big red bow to the right side of my head. And I was stunned. I looked….absolutely amazing!

"Now go eat idiot" Hotaru told me, ushering me out of the bathroom. "I don't want you to mess up your make up while eating. When you're done, come back up and that's when we'll give you make up."

I nodded and headed downstairs. Hotaru followed me, obviously going to eat too. We waltzed into the dining room and there was my mom with some sausage and hash browns with egg sitting on the table.

"I made you two ladies a nice, yummy breakfast. You two need to eat in order to keep up the energy for the whole day if you two are planning on putting on concerts." Mom said, smiling.

"Thanks Mom! Oh, and, we are only putting on one concert today. We'll put on more tomorrow!" I told her, sitting down at the table with Hotaru. "Are you coming to see us?"

"Of course! Your dad and I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mom said, hugging me.

Hotaru and I started eating along with my mom. When we finished, Dad came down and greeted all of us.

"G'morning." Dad mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Morning Daddy" I giggled. "We'll be upstairs if you need us!"

And with that, Hotaru and I went upstairs to do my make up. I sat down on the bed as Hotaru opened up the curtains and turned on the lights in order to have a better view of my face.

"Alright," Hotaru started, grabbing some eye shadow, "Stay still. I'm pretty sure this will be a while until it is finished." She fished a small hand mirror and placed it beside me and got to work.

I did as I was told: closed my eyes when she needed me to, pursed my lips to spread the lip stick, kept my eyes wide open to put on mascara, and so forth. But to me, all she did felt as if it had taken forever. Wait, it did! By the time she was finished, it was 7:30. School would be starting at 8 and the festival will officially start at 8:35. Don't ask me why it's 8:35. My school's just weird like that. At least it's not 8:36!

"Done" Hotaru stated, handing me the hand held mirror.

I hesitantly took a look into the mirror, scared of what I would see. And when I looked into the mirror, my jaw dropped. What I saw was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen gawking at me, jaw dropped like me. I blinked a few times and so did she.

"T-that's m-me..?" I was so unsure about that beautiful girl being me.

"No duh" Hotaru replied, rolling her eyes. She got up and started putting all of her stuff away, also grabbing her things from the bathroom.

I took an even better look at myself. I was completely flawless! I was wearing natural looking make up. Well, except for the lip stick/gloss. Here, let me tell you. I had a golden brown color eye shadow that glittered a bit in the light. Mascara was in my eyelashes to make them longer, though, it looked absolutely natural. There was a pinkish blush on my cheeks and it kind of made me look as if I were glowing. To top it off, I had red lip stick with some clear lip gloss for shine. If you want to put it the easy way: I looked H-O-T! Totally gorgeous!

When I was done gawking at myself, having a hard time believing it was me, I put the mirror down into Hotaru's bag and waited for her. Hotaru came into my room and put the rest of her materials into her bag and looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you planning on wearing that robe all day?" Oh, I totally forgot I had that on. I was about to take it off when Hotaru said, "Wait! Just wear it until it's time for the performance. I don't want it to get ruined. Plus, we want to surprise everyone."

"Eh- oh, okay." And I tied the robe once more.

"Oh, and I want you to hide. I don't want anyone to see you until you are up on that stage so hide backstage and ready your vocals with the band. Okay?" Hotaru asked.

"Yeah, I'll do my best in hiding." I saluted her.

"Good. So let's go downstairs and leave."

"Alright!"

I followed Hotaru like a little duckling, said good bye to my parents, and we went off to school. When we got to Gakuen Alice, I quickly went to our stage and hid in the back while Hotaru went to the class room to get everyone else ready. Yeah, the meeting place for everyone was the class room except for me. I sat in a secluded area, waiting for my band mates to arrive. I was so happy when they finally did. I just was kind of embarrassed when Anna, Nonoko, Hiro, and Koko screamed out: "Holy crap, Mikan! You look HOT!"….even though they didn't see my dress yet.

Yes, all four of them SHOUTED that at the SAME TIME which, most likely, all people waiting out in front heard. Once they all calmed down, we all made our way to our instruments in center stage since the curtain was still covering them. They wouldn't open until it was time for the concert to begin anyways. And that's when I will take off my robe. We practiced until Hotaru came up to us with her clip boar in hand.

"You will be performing at noon. You have a lot of time to practice, so that's exactly what I want you to do. Practice but give your voice a break once in a while. I will bring all of you food and beverages for lunch. After the concert, you all will be able to enjoy the festival." Hotaru said.

All of us nodded and Hotaru came up to me. "You will have to choose more songs for the rest of the festival and practice them too. Narumi was being a total idiot and didn't say anything about it until now. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine! I can do it! I just won't use a band. I'll just sing and play by myself, that's all!" I told her.

"Okay, it has to be two songs a day. So, tomorrow, you have to have two more songs. Then the next day, the last, have three because it's your grand finale. Okay? Sorry for the short notice…"

"Hotaru, it's fine! It's not like it didn't happen before! I can handle it!"

"Okay" Hotaru said, smiling. She then took her leave, talking to members of the back stage lighting crew and curtain drops and people of sorts.

We practiced, with a couple breaks, until lunch. Hotaru delivered us some yummy onigiri and sushi from one of the food stands at the festival. She handed us each a plate of this and a bottle of water. We chatted a bit and then practiced one more time, since the curtains were going to be risen soon.

I took a swig of water and wished everyone good luck as we all took our positions when the starting announcement came up.

"_Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Come on over and join us with a concert from our very own students from class 2-B in the most breathtaking concerts you will ever see! Give it up for these talented students!"_

I threw my robe to a backstage crew member as I took a last gulp of water and stood at the microphone on its stand, guitar in hand with Anna and her guitar, Koko on the drums, Hiro at the bass and Nonoko at the keyboard. The curtain rose and there were so many people there! I spotted my parents and I smiled at them. They smiled back too.

"Hey Gakuen Alice!" I yelled into the microphone.

There was so much cheering and screaming, I thought my ears would burst. But, I just kept my ever increasing smile on my lips as I spoke once more: "Are you all ready for this!"

I heard the screams increase in anticipation when I said that. "Alright then, let's hit it!"

Koko started, followed by me, Anna, Nonoko, and Hiro. And when the time came for me to sing, I looked up into the crowd, opened my mouth, and-

~Natsume's POV~

My first thought of the Fall Festival: Wow. It was huge! There were so many booths, attractions, people, families, everything! It was like a real amusement park or carnival. It was amazing. I guess Mikan and Narumi weren't exaggerating. I walked around the festival with Ruka, looking around at everything. I'm glad I wore a simple pair of navy blue jeans and a black tee with a black jacket over. It was simple and comfortable to walk in.

"So," Ruka started, "How do you like it?"

I was quiet for a while, gawking at my surroundings. But, a person wouldn't know that I was gawking for I had an impassive look on my face, so no one could read my expression.

"Wow" was all I said. Ruka grinned.

"I thought you'd like it! Oh, and just wait until you see the rides and the concert! Mikan put on a concert once before with our class when we were in 5th grade and she was AMAZING! She was so popular, she got so many gigs! But, she doesn't do them anymore. I guess people just forgot of her talent" Ruka sighed, shrugging.

"You talk too much, ya know that?" I asked Ruka. "You might be a girl for all I know."

"Hey! Am not!"

"Whatever you say…"

We made our way around, just looking at the places before we found ourselves in front of the stage for the concert. Ruka and I didn't really have anything to do to help set up the show, so, we just went to a big oak tree that was behind the gigantic forming crowd and sat up on its branches with a perfect view of the stage.

"_Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Come on over and join us with a concert from our very own students from class 2-B in the most breathtaking concerts you will ever see! Give it up for these talented students!"_

When I heard that, Ruka and I looked towards the stage and I almost fell out of the tree. Mikan stood up there on the stage looking so beautiful that she could be an angel. That red dress really complimented her skin tone and it was a nice style on her. Gawd, she can be an angel! Not to mention, red looks really good on her…it's also my favorite color. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"Hey Gakuen Alice!" She yelled to the crowd. I heard so many screams. Wow, she must have been really good in order to attract this many fans from 5 years ago.

"Are you all ready for this!" She yelled, smiling even more than she was, her perfect red lips looking completely delectable.

"Alright then, let's hit it!" And the whole band, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Hiroshima, and Mikan, started playing their instruments.

Firework by Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag  
Drifting through the wind  
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin  
Like a house of cards  
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep  
Six feet under scream  
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you  
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light  
And let it shine  
Just own the night  
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on show 'em what your worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework  
Come on let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space  
You're original, cannot be replaced  
If you only knew what the future holds  
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed  
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow  
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light  
And let it shine  
Just own the night  
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on show 'em what your worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework  
Come on let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  
It's always been inside of you, you, you  
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on show 'em what your worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework  
Come on let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
You're gonna leave 'em goin "Oh, oh, oh!"

Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  
Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

When Mikan and the rest finished the song, the crowd was going crazy, screaming their heads off. Mikan looked as if she were breathless, smiling at all of them. Well, of course she'd be breathless! She had been dancing, playing, singing, and putting all of her emotion into her performance! She was unbelievable! I felt butterflies as her eyes landed their gaze on me. She gave me a smile and I waved back to her.

"Thank you everyone! And if you all wouldn't mind, we have one more song for all of you!" Mikan said.

Everyone cheered happily, jumping up and down and going nuts while all of the band mates on the stage started laughing.

"Alright!" Hiroshima yelled, "Let's do this!" And they started their next song.

I have no idea when this happened, but there was now a big, red piano pulled to the side of the stage and Mikan was sitting on it. Then, she started to play, followed by Koko, Hiroshima, Anna, and Nonoko.

Me, Myself, and Time by Demmi Lovato

I can make the rain stop, if I wanna

Just by my attitude

I can take my lap top, record a snap shot

And change your point of view

Mikan got off of the piano and grabbed the microphone perched there and Nonoko took her place.

I've just entered this brand new world

And I'm so open hearted

I know I've got a long way to go

But I'm, I'm just getting started

Mikan started to dance around the stage, touching fans hands like she was some sort of pro at this. Wow, she was awesome! I wish I got some front row seats! But, it looks too crowded over there. I guess I'm happy with my spot.

I'm over my head

And I know it, I know it

I'm doing my best

Not to show it, to show it

Whatever it takes to be

What I was meant to be

I'm gonna try

Cuz I'm living the dream

And I know it, I know it

I'm trying my best

Not to blow it, to blow it

And I know everything will be fine

With me, myself, and time

Time, time, time, time, time, time

I go where life takes me

But some days it makes me

Wanna change my direction

Sometimes it gets lonely

But I know that it's only

A matter of my perception

I've just entered this brand new world

And I'm so open hearted

I know I've got a long way to go

But I'm, I'm just getting started

I'm over my head

I know it

I'm doing my best

Not to show it, to show it

Whatever it takes to be

What I was meant to be

I'm gonna try

Cuz I'm living the dream

And I know it, I know it

I trying my best

Not to blow it, to blow it

And I know everything will be fine

With me, myself and time

And baby there's nothing like this moment

To just be real and let the truth be spoken

Whatever's broke I can make it unbroken

Turn the lead in my head into something golden

Just try

More love

If I just try

More love

Then I'll find

Myself

In time

I'm over my head

And I know it, I know it

I'm doing my best

Not to show it, to show it

Whatever it takes to be

What I was meant to be

I'm gonna try

Cuz I'm living the dream

And I know it, I know it

I'm trying my best

Not to blow it, to blow it

And I know everything will be fine

With me, myself, and time

I'll find myself in time

I know

I'll find myself in time

When they were done, the crowd was awfully quiet. And without warning, everyone, and I mean everyone, started to scream their heads off. Well, except for me. Ruka was cheering with all the others. I had the biggest urge to run up there and hug the living daylights out of Mikan but I decided against it. I didn't want to go killing her. I would be really depressed and I would have to live without her. Ugh, I can't imagine life without her anymore.

"Thank you everyone!" Mikan, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, and Hiro chorused into their microphones.

"And have a great day in the Gakuen Alice Fall Festival!" Mikan said.

With that statement, the curtains went down and the crowd slowly departed…except there was a huge line forming on the side of the stage in front of a table with all of the band members sitting on chairs with pens and…photos of them? What the hell?

"Let's go Ruka" I said, jumping down from the tree.

Ruka followed and we made our way to the table, coming to congratulate our friends.

**~Chapter 8 End~**

Yay! Wasn't this great? I think it was! Those two songs are awesome! But, if you're a hater of any of these two musical artists, then it's okay! Everyone has their own opinions! Well, I want to say thanks to all of you who have reviewed and/or added me to story alerts and/or their favorites! And those people are…

Emana Ryan

Akatsuki Utaou

Sadlyinlove11

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Jonzz

Melyss

Annerlise922x

Kylee-Cat

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Well, have an awesome time during your happy holiday and I will see you all soon with the next chapter! And a MERRY CHRISTMAS! To all of you peoples out there! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	9. Chapter 9

Hey! This is the next chapter! I'm so happy! I'm on the 9th chapter! And next one is 10th! Now, the next few chapters will be revolving around Mikan and Natsume's time in the festival! And I believe that I should give you some NatsumexMikan moments! But, you'll have to wait! Next chapter for sure, okay? So, happy reading everyone! And I'll see you at the bottom!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the story line and Hiroshima! My own, made up characters too! So, I hope you all enjoy! And does anyone know when chapter 140 of the manga will be out?

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Heh, corny! ^-^)

With that statement, the curtains went down and the crowd slowly departed…except there was a huge line forming on the side of the stage in front of a table with all of the band members sitting on chairs with pens and…photos of them? What the hell?

"Let's go Ruka" I said, jumping down from the tree.

Ruka followed and we made our way to the table, coming to congratulate our friends.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 9~**

~Natsume's POV~

When Ruka and I got to the table where Mikan, Anna, Koko, Nonoko, and Hiroshima were, I saw what I thought they were doing. They just confirmed my suspicion. They are signing autographs.

"How'd you like the concert Natsume?" Mikan asked me, giving me a big smile as she handed one of her crazy fans' autographed picture back. Wow, when she said my name, it felt as if it were an angel's song. It was…It gave me butterflies…

Everyone looked at us. "Since when did you two get on first name terms? Not that I'm complaining! It's just like: FINALLY!" Koko said overdramatically.

"Just last night" Mikan said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh…I see" Misaki drawled.

"Since when did you get here?" I asked my sister.

"Oh, just when this conversation started" Misaki stated, Tsubasa by her side.

"Mikan-nee!" I heard a small voice call.

All of us turned to see Youichi jump into Mikan's lap and hug her tight. Mikan hugged back, smiling.

"How was the concert Youichi? Did nee mess up?" she asked him cutely.

"No! You were perfect!" Youichi replied, smiling too.

"Youichi!" Sumire panted, running over to the table. "Don't run away like that again!"

"I just wanted to see Mikan-nee" Youichi replied.

"You shouldn't scare Permy like that, Yo" Mikan said, patting his head.

"Yeah," Hotaru piped up, appearing out of nowhere. "You'll cause the death of her if you keep on scaring her like that."

"Oh…" Youichi drawled, looking down.

"Awww, its okay Youichi! You're just too cute to stay mad at!" Mikan said, cuddling with the young boy in her arms.

As I watched this, my jealousy grew stronger. I couldn't stand just watching Mikan hug another guy…even if it were a little kid that she viewed as a little brother. I highly doubt she has feelings for him but that doesn't stop my jealousy. Gosh, this is annoying.

"So, how did you like the concert Natsume?" Mikan asked once more.

All of a sudden, I heard a very familiar, snobby voice of a little skank that I hate: Luna Koizumi.

"Ugh! Why won't you let him answer?" Mikan screamed up to the sky. I guess that question was for the one above.

"Natsume~" she called, clinging to my arm. Ugh, whenever she says my name, I wanna puke. "Wasn't that performance horrible? I know, you could erase those horrible images by coming to watch our play! Let's go!"

That damn idiot tried to drag me away but I stood my ground, glaring at her. "Leave me alone Koizumi. You know damn well that I don't have any intention of hanging out with you." I growled.

"B-but Natsume, you shouldn't hang out with these losers" Koizumi said, pulling on my arm.

"You're the loser here Koizumi" Anna piped up. Wow, I couldn't believe the insult that just came out of her mouth. She never really insults people.

"Humph. Yeah right!"

"GO AWAY KOIZUMI!" Mikan, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Yuu and Kitsu (when did they get here?), Hotaru, Permy, Youichi (wow, he did it too?), Hotaru, Tsubasa, Misaki and I screamed.

The best part of it all: Koizumi ran away crying to who knows where and I really hope I never see her again for the rest of the festival.

Once Koizumi was out of sight, we all turned back around and started to talk while the five band members signed autographs once more.

"Sooo how did you like the concert Natsume?" Mikan asked once more, looking at me with her big, beautiful eyes. She looked really good in her make up. Like a goddess. Wait, I have to answer her question!

"You were great" I told all of them, keeping an impassive face on.

"Yay! A compliment!" Koko, Mikan, Anna, Nonoko, and Hiroshima high fived.

"Whatever" I drawled out.

The five went back to work as we all talked about the festival. Anna brought up the ending party but…I didn't know there was any.

"Oh, after the festival" Nonoko began, "We all have a huge party made by the teachers to congratulate all of us on how good the festival had been. We choose winners of the performances, rides, and foods and give them rewards. Then, there's this huge dance and it really cool! You just have to see it for yourself!"

Permy, Anna, Nonoko, and Mikan sighed dramatically along with all the other girls who were lined up for autographs.

"Tch, do me a favor and quit being stupid" I said, rolling my eyes.

"H-hey!" Mikan exclaimed, blushing a bit. That's cute. "We are NOT stupid! The after party is really cool! Just you watch!"

"Hn, whatever."

Soon, the line dwindled down to a few more people. After they got their autographs, Yuu and Hotaru ordered people to start cleaning up. I guess Yuu was the co- director.

"So, what are you gonna do?" Koko asked Mikan who was looking at her dress.

"Well," she started, "I don't want to mess it up, so I will go home and change out of this. I just hope that-"

"Mikan! You were great! Ahh, my baby's growing up!" Yuka-san hugged Mikan.

"Ah, Mom! I was just going to go home to change! Hi dad!" Mikan said.

"Hey sweetie," Izumi-san said. "Let's have you take a picture with all of your friends okay?"

"Alright! C'mon guys! Gather around! Let's take a picture!" And that's just what we did.

Mikan stood next to me during the picture. I didn't notice anything else. I just stood there, hands in my pockets, staring at the camera.

"Okay! One, two three! Smile!" And the camera flashed, taking a picture of all of us.

"Hey, I really need to go home and change! I'm not just going to stay like this all day!" Mikan said.

"Okay, here is the key. Remember to lock the door and remember to be safe, okay?" Mikan's mom said.

"Okay! Thank you Mom!" And then, Mikan was off.

"Natsume," Mikan's mom called me. "Do you mind going with Mikan? Keep her safe?"

"Sure." I said.

"Thank you very much!" Yuka-san said. Then, I went the way Mikan went, jogging the way.

It wasn't long until I reached Mikan. She was talking to a group of her fans. It was obvious they were complimenting her because she was blushing and rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. The bad part of this was that they were all boys. When I reached her, I nodded to her fans, put my arm around her waist, and led her out of the school.

Now, that action was out of jealousy. I didn't want anyone to lay a finger on her unless it was me. I wouldn't want any of those fan boys to become her…gulp…boyfriend. I would die if that happened. When we were far enough a way from the school gates where a lot of people were coming in and out, I spoke to Mikan.

"Don't ever talk to your fan boys without me around." I commanded.

"Okay, that's fine by me. I'm always uneasy around fan boys.." she said.

We continued walking, my arm still wrapped around Mikan's waist, until we reached the park.

"Ne, Natsume?" Mikan called.

"Yeah."

"Can we stay in the park for a little? I just wanna relax over at the Sakura tree."

"Sure."

I led her to the Sakura tree that the both of us seem so attached to. The both of us sat down and that's when I took my arm out of around her waist. We sat in comfortable silence, looking at the rolling hills in front of us, the scenery we watched as the sun goes down each day.

"Ne, Natsume?" Mikan asked.

"Yeah?" I replied, looking at her only to find her alluring honey brown eyes looking into mine. I held her gaze, still staring into her eyes.

"How did it feel like? To move, I mean.." Mikan asked me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?" I asked. "Are you moving?" My heart beat fast as I said this. I really don't want Mikan to move! That would be horrible!

"N-no! I just…I just wanted to know how it felt like to move to a new house, school, you know."

"Hn…"

It was silent for a while. None of us tried to speak as I formed an answer in my head. I guess she had never moved before. Well, this must be her home town, where she was born in. So, of course she wouldn't know.

"It's like.." I started, "You feel kind of sad when you are leaving the place you grew up in. You are uneasy of how it will all work out when you get to a new school. You are kind of worried to get lost and you wonder if you will even make any friends or enemies…or maybe both. It's just…..hard."

"Oh. Is that how you felt Natsume?

"….Yeah….kind of."

Mikan smiled at me and grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it a bit. "Well," she started, "It seems like you have made quite a few friends….and an enemy, huh Natsume?"

I couldn't help but nod and smile at her. She gasped.

"You just smiled!" Mikan cheered, taking her hand away from mines and clapping. There was a huge smile on her face. "You know," she started, finished with clapping, "You should smile more. When you do, you look really handsome.

I blushed a deep red. I know because I felt so much heat in my face. I'm pretty sure I look like a ripe tomato.

"Natsume, are you feeling okay? You're really red!" Mikan asked, putting her hand on my forehead while putting her face close to mine. I think I blushed even more.

"I-I'm f-fine" I stuttered out, turning my head away and swatting her hand off of my forehead.

Mikan blinked. "O-okay. Let's go! I think I should get dressed and I'm pretty sure my parents are worrying about me."

"Hn" I answered, standing up. I offered my hand to Mikan who was still sitting on the ground and she accepted it, smiling.

"Thank you Natsume!"

"Hn. Now let's go."

It wasn't long until we reached her house. Mikan unlocked the door and we both headed. I sat on the couch as Mikan ran upstairs to change into regular clothes. All of a sudden the phone rang.

"Natsume, could you get that?" Mikan called down from her room.

I stood up and picked up the phone. "Hello?" I answered.

"…Who's this?" a deep voice asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"I could ask you the same thing" I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"Fine. I'm Tono. Who's this?" the guy, Tono, said.

"Natsume." I answered bluntly.

"So, Natsume, where's Mikan?" he asked me. My heart skipped a beat. Was this guy…..ugh, I can't even think it!

"Natsume, who is it?" Mikan asked me, coming down the stairs in graceful steps.

She had a burgundy top on with navy blue skinny jeans and some black and white converse. It seems she has taken off her make up and the red bow that was in her curled hair. Heh, her hair looks really good down and curled. She should do that more.

"Some guy named Tono" I replied taking the phone away from my ear.

"Tono senpai!" Mikan exclaimed. She skipped over to me and got the phone out of my hand as I raised an eyebrow at her.

Mikan just rolled her eyes and spoke into the phone: "Tono senpai! How are you?...Yeah, I'm great!...You are? When?...Now? As in 'right now'?...Yeah! I'll see you there!...Okay bye!"

Mikan giggled in happiness as she put the phone back into the receiver.

"So…..?" I somewhat asked.

"That was Tono senpai. He graduated from Gakuen Alice and went off and abroad to a college in America. So, he came back here to visit us!" Mikan said, clasping her hands, eyes sparkling.

"We?"

"Yeah! Me, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, Hotaru, Hiro, Ruka, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu and Youichi! And you're going to meet him today!"

All of a sudden, the front door swung open and in came Mikan's parents.

"Oh, Mikan, you shouldn't worry us like that!" Yuka-san hugged Mikan really tight.

"M-mom…c-can't b-breathe!" Mikan gasped, yanking at her mother's arms.

"Oh, sorry!"

As the mother and daughter talked, Mikan's dad, Izumi-san, walked around me as if he were inspecting some sort of criminal who had murdered someone. He stopped right in front of me and crossed his arms. And the room went quiet. Mikan and her mom quieted down and turned towards us, watching what her dad would do.

"You better not have done anything to my little girl." Izumi said, glaring at me.

"Dad, he didn't do anything! I swear!" Mikan patted her dad on his back and went to stand beside me.

"Yeah, he better not have! And I want you back home by-"

"Izumi, stop treating Mikan like a baby!" Yuka-san said, gently grabbing hold of her husband's arm. "Here Mikan! Take my cell phone and I will call you when we believe you should come home. If anything goes wrong, just call us and we'll be there."

Mikan's mom handed her daughter the cell phone and ushered the both of us out of the house. "Now, have fun you two!" And the door was shut behind us.

Mikan and I stood there for a little, looking back at the door behind us. I looked to Mikan just as she turned her head to look at me. Shrugging, she led the way off the porch and down the side walk, heading towards Gakuen Alice. I followed her, close behind.

"Sorry about that! My Dad's over protective" Mikan said, smiling sheepishly at me.

"Nah, it's fine. I wouldn't trust me either." I said, slipping my hands into my pockets.

"Wow, low self esteem huh, Natsume?" Mikan asked, laughing.

I looked at Mikan's laughing face. She looked so cute. She is really beautiful. She's like an angel. I smiled for the second time that day as she slipped her hand into mine and swung out hands back and forth. Yeah, I'm beginning to like today….and Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival.

**~Chapter 9 End~**

Yay! It's done! Now, as I've promised, there will be a NatsumexMikan moment next chapter! I hope all of you are looking forward to it! I also want to say thank you to all those who have left me a review and/or added me to their faves and/or story alert! Those people are listed as the following:

Kua Kasshoku Koneko

ashinat crimson flames

Chrisca123456789

mikan-kawaii-sakura

OoO-Ashee-OoO

pinkfab1211

Fallen Natsu-chan

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

Ellixx

Emana Ryan

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

So thank you guys! You know, you all really make my day! Haha! Well, stay tuned and I'll see you all later! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	10. Chapter 10

Wussup peeps? Haha! Well, here's chapter 10 of our awesome story! I really hope you like this chapter and just like I've promised, I will put a NatsumexMikan moment in here! Oooh, and while I'm at it, I'll make this one extra long! This will be a great new year's present/ Mikan's birthday! Woooooo! So, enjoy everyone! :D Oh, and I have an **important message at the bottom**! So, please read that when you are finished reading! Thanks!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They all belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi-sensei! I only own this story line and my random characters! Enjoy! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(You know this is getting weird…)

"Sorry about that! My Dad's over protective" Mikan said, smiling sheepishly at me.

"Nah, its fine. I wouldn't trust me either." I said, slipping my hands into my pockets.

"Wow, low self esteem huh, Natsume?" Mikan asked, laughing.

I looked at Mikan's laughing face. She looked so cute. She is really beautiful. She's like an angel. I smiled for the second time that day as she slipped her hand into mine and swung out hands back and forth. Yeah, I'm beginning to like today….and Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 10 **(yes! :D)

~Mikan's POV~

My breath was taken away when I saw Natsume smile once more as we were walking to Gakuen Alice. He looked so…wow! He should smile more often! I just entwined my fingers with Natsume's and swung our arms, smiling all the way to the academy. I have to admit that I felt something like electricity run through my body when our hands touched, but I just shoved that thought out of my mind.

Not wanting to raise any suspicions, I let go of Natsume's hand somewhat reluctantly when the two of us reached the gates of Gakuen Alice. Natsume and I made our way to the spot where we saw Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Ruka-pyon, Hiro, Permy, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu, Youichi, Misaki senpai, and Tsubasa senpai were last. But when we got there, they were gone.

"Eh? W-where'd everyone go?" I asked looking around.

"I guess they left" Natsume answered me back after he finished trying to locate our friends.

"I guess so.." I said. I looked to Natsume and smile. "Hey, let's not fret! Why don't we go around the place and we can chill and stuff?"

Natsume slowly nodded at me, raising his eyebrow as if I'd done the most stupid thing in the world.

"What? Did I do something?" I asked him, curious as to why he did that.

"Tch, let's just go" Natsume rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of my hand, leading me around the place.

The two of us walked all around the school, pointing out a whole bunch of rides and stuff. We weren't going to ride them yet. We were saving them for tomorrow! Oh yeah, I have to get a song ready for tomorrow too…

"Ne, Natsume?" I called out once we were done scouting out which attractions were good enough to go on tomorrow.

"Hn?"

"Can we go to the music room? I have to get some songs ready and practice them at least twice."

"Yeah, whatever."

And with that, we headed our long trek to the music room. I couldn't help but sneak some glances at Natsume. He was just too hot! Haha! It sounds so wrong when I think and/or say that word! Well, anyways, he does look hot! It's a naturally known fact! The way his hair catches the light of the sun's rays, his chiseled look as if he were carved by the hands of angels, sigh, he's so handsome! I could look at him all day!

"Heh, falling for me Mi-kan?" Natsume snapped me out of my 'daydream', separating my name into syllables.

"N-no…" I stuttered, looking down the floor and blushing.

I managed NOT to look at Natsume the rest of the walk to the Music room. And once we were there, I immediately went onto the computer to look for some cool songs.

Let's see….there was Already gone, Secrets… I kept on scrolling down, checking all the names of the song until one caught my attention: These Words by Natsasha Bedingfield! It's perfect! Now for just one more.

It was a few minutes until I pulled up a random page of lyrics off the internet. And guess what I found? It was I Do Not Hook Up by Kelly Clarkson! I love this song! Haha! This is exactly what I want to play!

So, with my decision made, I looked up the guitar chords for both songs and printed them out. Once I was done, I pulled out a sweet electric guitar and started strumming, liking the way the sound was made. It was music to my ears! Haha, get it? 'Cause it is literal music and I hear it through my ears? Gosh, I'm so weird!

I giggled at my weird thoughts and Natsume looked at me as if I were a complete weirdo.

"Sorry" I muttered, "Inside joke!"

I continued playing the songs a few more times and I got the hang of it. I'll practice when I get home and before the concert. I'll just have a CD with the songs playing in the back ground while I play my guitar so I'll be fine! I put down the instrument, folded up the music sheets and put them in my pocket, smiling to Natsume which let him know I was done.

The both of us headed outside without any words exchanged. I noticed that the sun was already low on the horizon. Wow, the day has gone by so quickly! So, Natsume and I made our way out of Gakuen Alice and to the park where we always went to at the end of each day. We walked in a comfortable silence until we reached my- no, OUR Sakura tree. Natsume sat at the base of the tree as I thought of something.

I didn't want to do the same thing as we did every day. I wanted to mix it up a bit. With that thought, I started to climb the tree. And I climbed up to the highest point in which the tree's branches could hold me up without collapsing.

I looked towards the rolling hills and what greeted me was completely breathtaking. The oranges, pinks and purples of the sunset were painting the rolling hills, shrubs creating little shadows here and there. It looked like it was literally out of a painting! It was absolutely beautiful!

"Natsume! You have to come up here!" I called down, somewhat breathless.

I couldn't tell if he were coming up or not. So, I looked down to see Natsume making his way steadily up the tree.

"Come on Natsume! Get up here before the sun sets!" I told him.

"Be patient!" Natsume sighed, lightly scowling.

I just rolled my eyes, gesturing for him to hurry his butt up. Finally, he sat down beside me on the branch. I was next to the trunk while he sat on the outer part. When Natsume saw what I did, his breath caught and I grinned.

"…..wow…" Natsume mumbled, flabbergasted.

"I know" I sighed, looking back to the perfect scenery.

We both sat in silence until the sun went down. We watched until the last ray of light was smothered by the darkness of night, still breathless of the beauty of what we just saw. The moon shone down on us and I looked up to see the sky filled with stars surrounding the said moon. I smiled and closed my eyes, relishing in the moons lunar light.

I looked to Natsume and noticed he was staring at me. I blushed. Wait, why'd I blush? I had no reason to….right?

And then….I noticed the way he looked. The way the moon's light reflected on his skin made it look flawless. His shining crimson eyes were a big contrast to his raven black hair which was as dark as the night. The moon was angled just right so that his features were further enhanced. He was, in one word, beautiful. Yup, THAT was my reason to blush: he looked totally, handsomely, beautifully, HOT!

We just stared at each other for who knows how long. I couldn't make myself look away from his breathtakingly beautiful eyes. They mesmerized me. I noticed he was leaning closer and I froze. But the weird thing about it was I was anticipating it. The closer he got, the more I wanted him to get even closer.

I don't know how it happened, but I found myself with my back pressed against the trunk of the tree, Natsume's hand on my waist, his face just inches away from me. I could feel his breath on my face. It felt as if it were caressing my cheeks. I could smell his scent: vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. Who the hell knew he could smell so good!

Natsume leaned closer every second; his free hand found its way to my nape and the both of us closed our eyes. We were so close! I could feel the heat radiating off of his lips!

-RING-RING-RING-

Ugh! Wait…what was….Oh! The phone! I quickly snapped my eyes open and turned my head away, grabbing Mom's phone out of my pocket as Natsume leaned away, straitening his position. I thought I saw a glint of disappointment in his eyes but I couldn't bring myself up to think about it; I was blushing like crazy! I quickly answered my phone, letting out a breathless "Hello?"

"Mikan, can you come home now? You know, I heard from your friend Hotaru that you needed to work on a couple more songs for tomorrow! And also it's getting late!" I heard my mom on the other side of the line say.

"Oh, uh, yeah I'll come home." I stuttered, sounding somewhat normal once again.

"Good! Now be home soon now! It's not safe for a girl like you to be out late at night!"

"Alright! See you soon, Mom."

"Okay, see you soon honey!"

"Bye" and I hung up.

I looked towards Natsume and noticed him staring at me….or a part of me. I traced his line of sight and noticed he was staring at…my lips? I blushed an even deeper red and looked away from him.

"U-uh, I gotta go….I'll s-see you t-tomorrow….b-bye" and I climbed down the tree and I started down the path towards my neighborhood.

All that time, I was thinking about one thing: the almost kiss.

I can't believe Natsume and I almost kissed! I felt the butterflies flutter around in my stomach and my heart started to beat a little faster than normal. I remember the way it felt when Natsume held my waist and nape. I remembered the shock of electricity that went through my body when his fingertips first made contact with me. Oh my gosh, the butterflies started to flutter even more as my heart beat even faster! I felt so weird. I've never felt like this before!

But I definitely know that one thing is for sure: I'm and deeply and utterly in love with Natsume Hyuuga. I mean, why else would I want to kiss him so badly? Why else would I want to be with him forever? Why else would I get…uh….j-jealous when other girls except for my friends try to get his attention and ogle at him? I had to face the facts. I love him.

I found myself in front of my house without me noticing when I got here. I sighed and composed myself before entering my house, a smile plastered on my face to make sure my parents didn't know that something was 'wrong'.

~Natsume's POV~

I watched Mikan's figure getting smaller in the growing distance between us. I couldn't help myself than to blush at my actions earlier. I liked the way Mikan felt in my arms, the way that when I touched her, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body.

I remembered that I was….uh…staring at Mikan's lips. But I couldn't help but stare! They looked so tempting! The way they were the most perfect shade of pink, the perfect size, shape and plumpness…

"Natsume, stop thinking of this!" I scolded myself quietly as I felt the butterflies flutter around in my stomach, heart racing.

I sighed, figuring it was no use talking to myself. I leaned on the trunk of the Sakura tree, still on the same branch where Mikan and I almost kissed…keyword: ALMOST.

Man, I wish it did happen! I was tempted to jump out of this tree, catch up to Mikan and kiss her senseless! I wonder….has she kissed someone yet? Knowing me, I didn't have my first kiss yet. But, did she? I scoffed. Of course she didn't! She's too innocent to have had her first kiss!...But she almost kissed me….

I pushed that thought aside, too scared to think about it. I remembered how she looked like in the moonlight: it seemed to enhance her features, her eyes twinkling like stars, light brown hair still curled in the fashion it was this morning, pink lips which were nice and plump and perfect no matter how you looked at it, perfect goddess like body with curves in all the right places….. I went back to the thought of the way her lips looked in the moonlight.

"I wonder what her lips taste like…" I mumbled. When I realized what I just said, I practically yelled, "WAIT, WHAT? HOLY SHIT I'M LOOSINGIT!"

I closed my eyes and breathed deep breaths, trying to get a hold on myself. Once I was pretty sure I was fine, I climbed down and out of the Sakura tree, making my way to my house.

When I got home, I quickly went upstairs after I was greeted by my family and I greeted back. I could see the worried glances that my family was giving me but I could care less. I locked myself in my room and took a hot shower to calm my nerves. Once I got out, I put on some black pajama pants and sat down on my bed, looking out the window and at the stars.

I slumped on the wall next to my bed, wondering what Mikan was doing right now. She's probably practicing her songs for tomorrow. I wonder what she will wear for her performance tomorrow. She will probably look even more stunning than ever.

All of a sudden, I heard a knock on my door. I stood up with a sigh and answered it. Apparently, it was my dad. Raising an eyebrow, I opened up the door more and let him in. When he was in, I closed the door and sat on my bed, crossing my legs as my father sat on my desk's chair.

"So, what's been up with you recently? You seem…..different" Dad started a conversation somewhat awkwardly.

"…..Nothing" I answered.

"Are you sure? You haven't been eating dinner a lot lately."

It was true: I skipped out on dinner a lot after I hung out with Mikan. I don't know why I do. It's probably just that whenever I think of her, I never think about me being hungry or not. It's just all her and how cute she looked and what she said to me that day. Hey, I was acting pretty weird!

"I'm just…..thinking" I answered my dad after a minute or two of silence.

"Hm…" Dad mumbled, "What about?"

"…."

"Natsume, you know I can help you with this weird phase you're going through. Just tell me and I'll help as much as I can."

He can help me? Yeah right, I highly doubt anyone can help me! All I think about is Mikan; how I want to make her mine so badly! I sighed and shook my head, looking into my lap. How can Dad help me win over the heart of Mikan Sakura? I don't think he could do it.

"Come on Natsume! Tell me!" my father pleaded after a few minutes.

Sighing once more, I said "….It's about….about…"

"Go on…" Dad ushered me to continue, leaning towards me in his seat.

"….M-Mikan…..Mikan Sakura" I finished.

Dad sat back once more, looking at me with a measuring gaze.

"W-what?" I stuttered, blushing a bit.

"Oh, it's nothing. And don't worry, I know what you're going through" Dad answered, smirking at me.

"…What do you mean?" I asked him warily.

"Well isn't it obvious? You're definitely in love! You're completely love sick!" Dad exclaimed, jumping off of his seat and pumping a fist into the air.

"Wha-what?" I asked, completely bewildered.

Dad came over to my side and patted me on the back. "Don't worry Natsume. It happens to everyone! You just have to let this work itself out! And I believe in you! I bet you could win her heart over in a snap!"

With that, Dad jumped up and went out of the room. But before he closed the door, he looked to me and said "Good luck!"

I sighed once dad left. What a waste. That didn't help at all! Whatever. I crawled under the covers after I turned off my room light. I looked out of the window and at the glowing stars. I was just staring when I saw a bright light shoot across the sky: a shooting star. I felt kind of stupid when I did this, but I closed my eyes and made up a wish.

"Please….make Mikan Sakura my girl" I whispered, wishing on the star.

Wow, I felt utterly stupid! I'm pretty sure I've officially become desperate to make Mikan mine! Aw man, this sucks! Oh well, I'm fine with it if Mikan becomes mine. And I will fight…HARD….in order to achieve that goal.

~Mikan's POV~

In my dream, I was sitting at the Sakura tree with Natsume, looking out at the scenery just like earlier today before….all of that happened. I watched as my dream self sighed and leaned against the trunk of the tree. Apparently, the dream Natsume was lying down on the branch, seeing that it was big enough to lie down on, his head placed in my lap. My dream self was playing with his hair as she looked out at the beautiful landscape.

"Mikan" dream Natsume whispered.

My dream self looked down to Natsume, smiling. And all of a sudden, Natsume pulled me down by the collar of my shirt and-

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock ringing. I blushed when I remembered where exactly my dream was going. Great, now I was DREAMING of kissing Natsume! This can't be healthy! Sighing, I shut off my alarm clock and got ready for Hotaru to come and help me prepare for my stage performance. Oh wait, the performance is going to be at sunset today. I sighed and put on a light blue denim skirt and a sea foam green t-shirt and headed downstairs, slipping on some flats. I pulled my hair into pigtails as I trotted down the stairs and into the dining room.

"Good morning!" I greeted my parents cheerfully as I stepped into the room.

I went to the cupboard and got out a box of cereal. I grabbed a bowl and filled it with the said cereal and some milk as my parents chorused, "Good morning sweet heart!"

I smiled at the two as I sat down and ate my breakfast. Once I was done, I cleaned up my dishes and stepped out of the dining room.

"I'll be going now Mom and Dad!" I called out.

"Wait!" Mom rushed towards me. "You need to hold onto this throughout today so that we can keep in contact." Mom said, handing me a brand new flip phone.

"I-is it m-mine?" I stuttered, grabbing hold of the said phone.

"Of course it is! It's all yours! Now go and add all of your friends numbers on it! It enables unlimited text and talk. So, don't loose it and knock yourself out!" My dad came and wrapped his arm around Mom's waist.

"Thank you!" I squealed, hugging my parents both. "And I promise I won't loose it!"

"Good! Now run along and say hi to your friends! I believe that's Natsume walking isn't it?" Mom said, looking out the window.

And sure enough, there was Natsume, looking perfect in his jeans and ocean blue shirt and black zip up sweat shirt.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go Mikan, go!" and Mom pushed me out of the house, slamming the door so hard that I thought that the whole neighborhood would hear it.

I stood there for a minute, but sighed and shook my head. I turned around and found Natsume RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF MY FACE! I gasped as my eyes widened to the sizse of saucers.

"Oh my gosh, don't do that! You gave me a heart attack!" I scolded Natsume, putting my hand over my heart.

"Hn" Natsume answered. "Come on, let's go."

Natsume grabbed my wrist and started to drag me. I felt the electricity shoot through my body. I remembered the events of yestereday: how we almost -gulp- kissed. I looked down to the ground as the blush made its way onto my face. But, I just let Natsume drag me to Gakuen Alice.

Natsume continued to drag me even though he attracted the stares of many people who were wondering why Natsume was holding my wrist. Soon, we found ourselves in front of the stage where I was to perform today and tomorrow.

"Do you need to practice a little bit or are you fine until later?" Natsume asked me, looking at me with his crimson orbs.

"U-uh, no, I'm fine. I'll practice a little before the show." I said, looking away from him, blushing.

"So..." Natsume started. I looked up to him to notice a mysterious glint in his eyes. Uh-oh... he's up to no good. "Do you wanna finish what we started yesterday?"

As he said that, he wrapped an arm around my waist while his free hand traced down my arm. I shivered, feeling the butterflies go rampid in my stomach.

"N-no!" I stuttered. I'm pretty sure my face is as red as his beautiful eyes. I looked away from him and towards the ground.

I swear I saw a glint of hurt in his eyes but soon, it was gone and he kept that weird smirk on his face. I pulled away from Natsume's embrace somewhat reluctantly. Natsume sighed and put up an impassive face.

"Let's go" Natsume said and started to drag me to random places.

Natsume took me to the elementary division and we saw all the little attractions that they had decided to put on. And then, we saw Youichi.

"Youichi!" I called out, waving to the said boy.

"Mikan-nee!" and he ran over knocked me to the ground with a bear hug...literally.

We both fell to the ground with a 'THUD' and we were laughing like crazy. When Youichi got off, Natsume helped me up and I nodded to him in thanks.

"So, what did your class do for the festival Youichi?" I asked him.

"A play" he said in his oh-so cute voice.

"Really? What was it? When is it going to start?" I asked, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, it's Snow White and it already finished not too long ago."

My face fell when I heard it finished. Awwww! I would have loved to watch the play! I bet Youichi was playing the prince because of his popularity in his grade. He would have been so cute!

"But don't worry!" Youichi said, sounding somewhat panicked, "We're doing it again tomorrow! At noon too so it's perfect!"

My mood brightened as I smiled and hugged Youichi, getting down on my knees to do so. Youichi hugged me back much to my chargin so I was happy. I heard a small 'ahem' before Natsume spoke: "Hey, don't I get a hug too?"

I laughed and looked at Natsume who was grinning down at Youichi and I.

"You have to come down here in order to get it" I answered him, giggling at the same time.

Natsume shrugged and complied, hugging me around the waist from behind as I hugged Youichi who hugged me.

"Awww, group hug!" an oddly familiar voice said. But before I could look, three more bodies joined in our hug. And not long after that, there was more. I heard the sound of a camera's shutter and immediately knew that Hotaru was somewhere near so this must be everyone in the group.

Natsume's grip on my waist tightened as I noticed another pair of arms wrapped around me. The embrace felt familiar...but...it couldn't be! After a few minutes, the huge group hug ended as everyone got up and off me, Youichi, and Natsume. I let go of Youichi as Natsume literally picked me up and set me onto my feet. I smiled at him and looked around for the said person that would confirm my suspicions. At first, I only saw the regular: Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu, Permy, Tsubasa-senpai, Misaki-senpai, Ruka and Hotaru aside from Youichi, Natsume and I. But sure enough, there he was with his long, black hair and dark eyes. His favorite white, long sleeved button up shirt and black jeans with sneakers.

"Tono-senpai!" I yelled and jumped into his waiting arms.

Tono-senpai chuckled as he looked at me up and down.

"You've grown kiddo" he stated, amusement in his eyes.

Tono-senpai graduated two years ago, before Natsume came. He is currently 20 years old and in his second year of college. He is really protective of me, like an older brother I never had. He would always chase off all the boys who tried to get close to me, even Ruka, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu and Youichi at first. But he opened up to them and decided that it was fine for them to hang out with me.

"You did too senpai!" I replied as we pulled away from our hug. "So how's college?"

"It's hell" Tono-senpai replied, the air around him getting dark.

Everyone but Hotaru, Youichi, and Natsume laughed. The three mention just smirked a little...well, except for Natsume. He seemed to be...bothered.

"Natsume," I said, turning to the said guy, "Are you okay? You seem...bothered."

"Nah, I'm fine" he answered, giving off an impassive look.

All of a sudden, Tono-senpai stepped out in front of me, seperating Natsume and I.

"Hey" Tono-senpai started. "My name's Tono. I remember we talked on the phone yesterday. You must be Natsume."

"Yeah, pleasure to meet you" Natsume said. I swear there was bitterness in his voice.

The two shook hands, letting off a dangerous aura. And thus, a glaring contest started. I sweat dropped. The two were acting like little kids fighting over a toy. Natsume let go of senpai's hand and walked around him and next to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist.

Natsume glared at Tono-senpai, his glare getting scarier by the second. As his grip tightened on my waist, Natsume said "Mine" in the firmest voice he's ever used.

My eyebrow twitched and I got out of Natsume's grip. "I'm no ones" I said. I glared at the two boys who were glaring once more. "Now you two knock it off. Just because you've been gone so long doesn't mean that you can go around scaring off my friends like that Tono-senpai."

"But" Tono-senpai said, running to my other side and hugging me tightly as I struggled to get out of it, "I just want to make sure that you aren't hurt! I only want the best for you!"

After a minute of struggling, I decided it was useless. I sighed and looked up at Tono-senpai. "Okay" I sighed, "It's okay. Now will you let go?"

Tono-senpai and let me go, grinning. And then, we were all off, looking around at the attractions trying out the games and riding the occasional rides. Natsume stayed close to my side. I don't know why he did though. But, I sure was happy that he was with me. It made me feel...happy. Happier than I've ever felt in forever! I mean, yeah I'm always happy, but this happiness was better than I've ever felt.

**~Chapter 10 End~**

Wow! IT's done! And guess what? It's 16 pages! Wow! It's usually just about ten! Aren't you happy that it's longer than usual? Yes, yes you are. And here it is, Tono is in here too! And I bet that you thought Mikan and Natsume was going to kiss! Oh well, we'll save that special occasion for later... ^-*'

Haha! Well, thanks all of you who have reviewed my last chapter! Those very sepecial people are... those who've reviewed! Sorry, I don't have all the time in the world you know and I can't write down your names right now so YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

I love you all! And I want to thank all those phantom readers who don't even review! Please please please review phantom readers! I really want to hear your opinions! I would love to know your views on the story!

Also, if you haven't noticed, there is another story that I'm working on right now and just to let you know, it is going to be even harder to update 2 chapters due to the hectic schedule I'm not really looking forward to so I hope that all of you have some patients with me!

So, good bye everyone! And happy new year's! And don't forget: Happy Birthday Mikan! Haha, Mikan is a lot like me: bubbly, friendly, annoying, weird, lots of friends...you know all that stuff! So, if you know what Mikan is like, you know how I'm like! :D

Well, I gotta go and stuff! So see you all later! And a happy new year! ^-^

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	11. Chapter 11

Hey! So, first of all, I would like to say this: THANK YOU! YOU ARE ALL SOOOOOOOOOO SWEET! I mean it! It's true! Every time I read all of my reviews, I get this huge, retarded grin on my face and everyone thinks I'm weird! But I can't help it! Some reviews are enough to even make me laugh! Haha! So, in order to say thanks to all of my readers, I will update two, again, TWO chapters today! I've been working on them for a long time already in order to make them nice for you guys! So, here you go! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! Although, I'd be eternally grateful if I did...Any who, they both belong to Tachibana Higuchi! :D I only own my totally random plots of my stories! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(You know you like this corny line!)

Natsume glared at Tono-senpai, his glare getting scarier by the second. As his grip tightened on my waist, Natsume said "Mine" in the firmest voice he's ever used.

My eyebrow twitched and I got out of Natsume's grip. "I'm no ones" I said. I glared at the two boys who were glaring once more. "Now you two knock it off. Just because you've been gone so long doesn't mean that you can go around scaring off my friends like that Tono-senpai."

"But" Tono-senpai said, running to my other side and hugging me tightly as I struggled to get out of it, "I just want to make sure that you aren't hurt! I only want the best for you!"

After a minute of struggling, I decided it was useless. I sighed and looked up at Tono-senpai. "Okay" I sighed, "its okay. Now will you let go?"

Tono-senpai and let me go, grinning. And then, we were all off, looking around at the attractions trying out the games and riding the occasional rides. Natsume stayed close to my side. I don't know why he did though. But, I sure was happy that he was with me. It made me feel...happy. Happier than I've ever felt in forever! I mean, yeah I'm always happy, but this happiness was better than I've ever felt.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 11~**

~Natsume's POV~

I was overrun with jealousy as that stupid Tono dude kept on hugging Mikan over and over again. And what really pissed me off was that she let him! She LET HIM! Ugh, I can't believe that! I just want to rip that stupid jerks head off and throw it off of the top of the Ferris wheel! And yes, there is a ferris wheel.

"Whoa, look at that Mikan!" that jerk Tono caught Mikan's attention. Currently, Mikan was looking at a little booth made by the kindergarteners who were surrounding her and hugging her legs while she giggled. She looked up to the said guy, still smiling that sweet, cute smile of hers.

"Yes Tono-senpai?" Mikan asked sweetly which made me so freaking jealous. Ugh, I wish that guy was gone!

"Look over there!" Tono pointed towards our right.

And there was a group of kids dressed as genies, handing out fliers and such to students, coming our way.

"Hey Tsubasa, Misaki!" a boy cried and came running to the said people.

"What is it?" Tsubasa and Misaki chorused.

"We need you at our RPG! There's a problem!"

"Oh, well, lead the way!" Misaki said, waving good bye to the rest of us.

Koko, Kitsu, and Hiroshima were whispering about what happened...huh, I wonder when Hiroshima got here...

Well, any who, Anna, Nonoko, Mikan, Hotaru, Ruka, Perm- I mean, Sumire, and that Tono jerk were staring at the last place we all saw Tsubasa and Misaki.

"Oh, Mikan" Hotaru said.

"Mhmm?" Mikan hummed.

"We need to go to the stage now." Hotaru informed, looking at her wrist watch...where'd she get that?

"Oh, it's already time? Okay!" Mikan started to skip off towards the said place, Hotaru following suit.

I quickly walked towards Mikan and wrapped my arm around her waist as I noticed the looks a whole bunch of random dudes were giving her. They were definitely not allowed to check MY Mikan out! I glared at all of them, especially Hiroshima and Tono. I want them gone. I just watched them shrug and smirk. And they did it TOGETHER! AT THE EXACT SAME TIME! Jeez! They are really annoying the crap out of me! I snorted and tightened my grip on Mikan's waist.

"U-uh, N-Natsume...i-is there s-something wr-wrong?" Mikan asked me, flushing at my sudden contact. She looked up at me, seeing as I am four inches taller than her. Heh, she's short. But, she still gave me the cutest confused look ever.

Smirking, I looked down to her and said, "You know you like it."

Mikan blushed even redder than before and tried in futile effort to take my arm out from around her. Heh, she was a total failure. I felt my smirk widen as I watched her struggle. Mikan hugged in annoyance and finally gave up, letting me relish in silent victory for the rest of the journey to the stage. I was fully aware of Hotaru behind us but I could care less. I didn't mind having people see Mikan and I walking like this, much less Hotaru. I am actually happy that this is happening! This is just the best time to make sure the guy population of the school will keep away from MY Mikan.

"Uh, I need to go Natsume" Mikan told me, trying to get out of my hold as I noticed we were at the stage.

"Hn" I answered, a tint of pink on my cheeks as well as Mikan.

I reluctantly let go of Mikan and allowed her to go up stage and get ready for the performance at sunset.

~Mikan's POV~

I was sure there was a tint of pink on my cheeks as I walked up the steps to the stage, leaving Natsume behind me. I can't believe that Natsume actually did that! He...he...you know! You've been reading this all along! It's not like I have to tell you again! Anyways, it's like he doesn't have the strength to keep his hands off of me and keeps on holding my waist and everything! I'm not saying that I don't like it! I'm just saying...it makes me feel...like...butterflies flutter around in my stomach and I feel electricity shoot through my veins and I feel so...weird. Like, I want to stay in his arms forever and I...okay this is just making me blush more and not helping my situation!

I shook my head as I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see that it was Hotaru.

"So, what was all that about?" Hotaru asked, leading me to the dressing room that she had oh so cleverly made yesterday in back stage.

"Uh, w-what do you mean?" I asked her, honestly confused.

Hotaru handed me a dress bag on a hanger and pushed me into the room while saying "You know, you and Hyuuga."

"What do you mean about me and Natsume?" I asked her, locking the door and taking the dress out.

"You know exactly what I mean! How you and Hyuuga seem to spend so much time together and you just allow him to hold your waist like that!"

"Wh-what? N-nothing! It's just t-that...uh...I don't know..." I sweat dropped as I slipped on the dress, not really paying attention to how it looked like. I slipped on some shorts underneath the skirt and shoved my phone in my pocket. I don't know why I did it. I just….did. I put on the black strappy heals that came with it and walked out of the dressing room, looking at Hotaru completely and utterly confused.

"Hm...I know you are hiding something from me" Hotaru said, giving me a knowing look.

Well, it's either now or never. I have always known from who knows when that I had certain...uh...feelings for Natsume. I always thought it was that I love him. But, I don't know. Somehow, everything keeps on pointing back to that fact due to the growing emotions and these weird feelings growing. So, I guess this is real love...huh...my first love, eh? Aw man, I guess I have to tell Hotaru!

"Uh...it's a secret...s-so you have t-to promise not to tell anyone" I stuttered, blushing a bright red.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow at my actions, but nodded none the less. I took a deep breath and stepped towards Hotaru to whisper in her ear: "I t-think th-than I l-lov-ve...N-Natsume.." I whispered pretty quietly into her ear.

I was a bright scarlet when I pulled back to see Hotaru's reaction to my confession. I-is that a smirk? Oh no, that's not good! She's up to no good again!

"Ah, I see" Hotaru said, not bothering to hide her mischievous smirk. "Okay, let's get to hair and make up."

I swear that I saw Hotaru's gears working to create some sort of crazy plan that I hope will NOT be as bad as I think it is.

When I was finished, I looked into the full sized mirror in my dressing room and saw my appearance. I was wearing a spaghetti strap dress, hugging at the top but from the hips down, it flowed out, ending just above my knees. It was a beautiful creamy orange color that somewhat shimmered in the light. I had some blush, natural eye shadow and lip gloss. The strappy heals matched my dress. If I were to once again describe myself in one word, it would be beautiful.

"Perfect" Hotaru smirked, admiring her work. And of course, that smirk was exactly like the one she showed me before when I told her...uh..my confession...uh oh.

"What are you up to?" I asked Hotaru, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Hmm, just wait and see."

I just sighed and shrugged my shoulders. I gave the CD that would be playing in the back ground as I played my guitar. I walked to the center stage, curtain still closed and tuned my guitar. I practiced until I was sure that I was ready and perfect and took a swig of water as I heard Narumi sensei announce the starting of the show.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, crowd around and get ready for the concert of a life time! I give you Mikan Sakura of class 2-B!"_

I stepped in front of the microphone stand and strapped the guitar on my shoulder. I gave a thumbs up as the signal to the curtain raiser and up went the curtains, the rays of the sunset. My dress shimmered in the light of the sunset and it really complimented my skin tone. Wow, Hotaru was a genius in this stuff!

I smiled to the crowd and they all cheered. I felt my cheeks tint pink and I smiled more broadly.

"Well, today, I'll start the show by singing These Words by Natasha Bedingfield. I hope you all like it!" I winked at the crowd and I started strumming, the music playing at the perfect moment.

**These Words- Natasha Bedingfield**

Threw some chords together  
The combination D-E-F  
Is who I am, is what I do  
And I was gonna lay it down for you  
Try to focus my attention  
But I feel so A-D-D  
I need some help, some inspiration  
(But it's not coming easily)  
Whoah oh...

Trying to find the magic  
Trying to write a classic  
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?  
Waste-bin full of paper  
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own  
From my heart flow  
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you  
There's no other way  
To better say  
I love you, I love you...

Read some Byron, Shelly and Keats  
Recited it over a Hip-Hop beat  
I'm having trouble saying what I mean  
With dead poets and drum machines  
I know I had some studio time booked  
But I couldn't find a killer hook  
Now you've gone & raised the bar right up  
Nothing I write is ever good enough

These words are my own  
From my heart flow  
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you  
There's no other way  
To better say  
I love you, I love you...

I'm getting off my stage  
The curtains pull away  
No hyperbole to hide behind  
My naked soul exposes  
Whoah.. oh.. oh.. oh.. Whoah.. oh..

Trying to find the magic  
Trying to write a classic  
Waste-bin full of paper  
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own  
From my heart flow  
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you

There's no other way

To better say

I love you, I love you

These words are my own

From my heart flow

I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you

There's no other way

To better say

I love you, I love you

That's all I got to say,  
Can't think of a better way,  
And that's all I've got to say,  
I love you, is that okay?

I was panting by the end of the song, still smiling. Of course, I was dancing around while playing and singing. I was officially adrenaline driven! You know, whenever you're on stage, all the people who are watching you cheer you on (if you're good) and just dance to your song, enjoying it in front of your eyes. And it makes you feel great! So, you get this adrenaline rush and you're just feeling awesome! I just love that feeling: being onstage and everyone cheering me on. Ahh, I could stay like this forever!

"Okay" I giggled as I watched the crowd somewhat settle down... but there were doing a bad job at it. "This next song is, of course, my last until tomorrow!" I heard disappointed groans. I feel the love! "But don't worry, I promise to give you an awesome show tomorrow! And to end this show, I'll be singing I Do Not Hook Up by Kelly Clarkson!"

I started strumming my guitar and the music started playing right after. I looked around the crowd and locked eyes with Natsume who was sitting up in that Oak tree like yesterday...smiling at me! I blushed and looked down. But on the cue when I would sing, I looked up and smiled. I opened my mouth and-

**I Do Not Hook Up- Kelly Clarkson**

Oh sweet heart put the bottle down

You've got too much talent

I see you through those blood shot eyes

There's a cure you found it

Slow motion sparks

You got that chill

Now don't deny it

But boys will be boys

Oh, yes they will

They don't wanna define it

So give up the game and get into me

If you're looking for thrills then get complete

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I go slow

So if you want me

I don't come cheep

Keep your head on my hand

Your heart on your sleeve

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I fall deep

'Cause the more that you try

The harder I'll fight to say goodnight

I can't cook, no but I can clean

Up the mess she left

Lay your head down and feel the beat

As I kiss your forehead

This may not last but this is now

So love the one your with

You want a chase but you keep chasin' your tail

A quick fix won't ever get you well

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I go slow

So if you want me

I don't come cheep

Keep you head in my hand

Your heart on my sleeve

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I fall deep

'Cause the more that you try

The harder I'll fight to say goodnight

'Cause I feel

The distance

Between us

Could be over

In the snap of your fingers

Oh no

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I go slow

So if you want me

I don't come cheep

Keep your head on my hand

Your heart on your sleeve

Oh, no

I do not hook up, up

I fall deep

'Cause the more that you try

The harder I'll fight to say

'Cause the more that you try

The harder I'll fight to say goodnight

Oh, sweetheart put the bottle down

'Cause you don't wanna miss out

I heard such loud screams that I had to cover my ears! But, I smiled none the less. I mean, they were cheering for me. I was relishing in my happiness until I noticed Hotaru walking to the big Oak tree Natsume was sitting on and talking to him. I couldn't tell what they were talking about but I knew she was saying something weird because I swear I saw Natsume's eyes widen. I panicked but kept my smile plastered on my face.

"Thank you everyone!" I said, waving to the crowd and Natsume looked up to me, Hotaru coming to the stage with a smirk plastered on her face. Aww crap! "Well, have a great evening here at Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival! And don't forget to visit other attractions! I heard the High School Juniors have put up an awesome RPG!"

I bowed as the curtains fell. I was engulfed in darkness until the stage lights turned on and the back stage people got to work. I went to Hotaru, noticing that she was there once again, smirking at me. I sighed. I walked over to her and told her of the stage set up that would blow the crowds socks off tomorrow.

**~Chapter 11 End~**

Yay! So, it's done! I hope all of you like this and I will be updating soon! Honestly, I hope to put in a NatsumexMikan moment in the next chapter! So, I hope all of you look forward to it!

Also, I would like to say thanks to all those who have reviewed and/or added me to their story alerts and/or favorites! And those people are...

ashinat crimson flames

chrisca123456789- btw, I like your name! ;D

Ellixx

Cutielilmiss

daa3fan

Hitsugaya1995

citrusims

Fallen Natsu- chan

xIshaxx

angelwisho7

Emana Ryan

Rainbow and Shining Stars

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

Kylee-Cat

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Thanks, all of you, so much! I hope that you all have a lot of great stuffs happening this year and I hope you all continue to read my stories! And if you are wondering, the little argument between Tono and Natsume was just like the one between Natsume and Youichi when they first met! Haha, I'm recycling ideas! ^-^

Lots of love! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D…..for now…


	12. Chapter 12

Good day to all those who are reading this story! I guess this is my next update for today! Haha, so, here you go! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(…I know you're impatient…)

I heard such loud screams that I had to cover my ears! But, I smiled none the less. I mean, they were cheering for me. I was relishing in my happiness until I noticed Hotaru walking to the big Oak tree Natsume was sitting on and talking to him. I couldn't tell what they were talking about but I knew she was saying something weird because I swear I saw Natsume's eyes widen. I panicked but kept my smile plastered on my face.

"Thank you everyone!" I said, waving to the crowd and Natsume looked up to me, Hotaru coming to the stage with a smirk plastered on her face. Aww crap! "Well, have a great evening here at Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival! And don't forget to visit other attractions! I heard the High School Juniors have put up an awesome RPG!"

I bowed as the curtains fell. I was engulfed in darkness until the stage lights turned on and the back stage people got to work. I went to Hotaru, noticing that she was there once again, smirking at me. I sighed. I walked over to her and told her of the stage set up that would blow the crowds socks off tomorrow.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 12~**

~Natsume's POV~

To say I am shocked is an understatement. I was more than that when that Hotaru Imai came up to me as Mikan was singing her second song. And what made me weary was that she was wearing the most evil smirk anyone could see. She must be up to no good. I pretended that I hadn't noticed her as she walked towards the tree I was perched in.

"Oi, Hyuuga" Imai called up.

I reluctantly looked down, scared of what she'd want to say. I really think that she's up to something devious, but what came out of her mouth took me off guard.

"You should make a move on her" she said, smirking.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Mikan. I know you like her. You should make a move before she gets taken away from you by someone else."

My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks go hot. Imai smirked and made her way to the stage as I looked up to see Mikan watching Hotaru with a weary look on her face.

"Well, have a great evening here at Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival! And don't forget to visit other attractions! I heard the High School Juniors have put up an awesome RPG!" Mikan said, a smile still plastered on her face none the less.

The curtains closed and I jumped off the tree and made my way to the stage to get to Mikan. When I got there, she was talking with Imai but soon, Imai was off, ordering people around and telling them of the preparations for tomorrow.

"Hey Natsume-" I didn't give her any time to say anything else as I grabbed her hand and led her out of the school and to the park.

What was I going to do you ask? Well let me tell you this: I have no idea! I don't know how I'm going to say this to Mikan and I have no idea how she'll react but I have to tell her how I feel! I have to tell her that…that I love her.

When we both got to the entrance of the park, I thought of something….different. I thought that I should take her to that little river that I had found a few weeks ago. What? Do you think I'm crazy? I'm just saying that we should shake things up a bit….just for today. I mean, look at her: she's wearing the sexiest dress I've seen on her! Okay, maybe it's not the sexiest…..I think the red one looked way better because it's my favorite color and-

OKAY! I've got to stop thinking of that stuff! I sighed and started towards the creek. On the way, we'd pass by our houses and….ugh…..Koizumi's but I just hope that I can keep away from them. By them, I mean her parents, my parents, and that slut.

When we were to walk past our houses, I hid Mikan and I behind a bush to ready ourselves.

"Okay" I whispered to Mikan, looking to see if the coast is clear, "when I say go, we will run past our houses. I don't want us to be caught and dragged away just yet, okay?"

Mikan nodded in response, confusion evident in her expression. I waited for the right time when I was sure that no one was looking.

"Ready...go!"

The both of us ran past the houses and we actually made it! I was pretty thankful that we didn't get caught. When we were out of sight, I kept on walking and I led Mikan to the river. It was actually inside a small forest next to the neighbor hood. The forest wasn't dangerous because if it were, I'd be dead by now. I had gone into it so many times being the curious me, so I think this will be a good place to hang out in.

The spot where the river was at its prettiest was at a small clearing not too deep into the forest. At that spot of the river, there was actually this miniature waterfall and I thought that it was pretty cool. So, of course, I wanted to show Mikan. I guess this is the perfect time.

When Mikan and I reached the clearing, I heard Mikan gasp. I grinned, happy that she liked the place.

"Wow" she breathed, looking around, eyes wide. "This…..this is beautiful! H-how'd you find it?"

Mikan looked to me and I gave her a small smile…..and….she BLUSHED! But, none the less, she gave me the most heart warming smile she'd ever given me and I found myself blushing too.

"I-I f-found it when I w-was exploring a c-couple weeks ag-go…" I stuttered. I face palmed myself, due to my stuttering.

Mikan started giggling and did the thing I least expected…..okay, maybe it wasn't the least expected thing. But anyways, she held my hand as I noticed I hadn't let her hand go yet, giving it a small squeeze.

I pulled Mikan to the edge of the clearing to the only Sakura tree around this part of the forest. Hey, I'm pretty sure that there are more. They are just not here.

I sat down at the base of the trunk and Mikan did the same. We still did not let go of each other's hands. And I had no intention to. The moon was now over head and the stars were shining brightly. Fireflies flew into the clearing, looking as if they were dancing around us. I looked at Mikan to see her smiling widely, looking at the scene around her.

"Mikan" I called out to her, my voice gentle. She looked at me and I took that as a sign to continue. "I….I need to tell you….s-something…"

Mikan turned her whole body towards me and looked me in the eye as I blushed a deep red. I was probably as red as my eyes. I inwardly chuckled at the thought. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, getting ready to announce my undying love. Damn, that sounded hell of corny!

Opening my eyes, I turned my body towards Mikan and held both of her hands in mine, stroking the soft skin on her hand. I looked her in the eye, willing all of the emotion I felt to show itself…..in my eyes.

Mikan gasped. I know why. It was my feelings. I felt so many at once. I didn't think that it was possible to do so! And with the weird feelings being mixed in a weird way, I felt that it was even more impossible to do so. Heh, I guess I was just proved wrong. I felt excited, nervous, shy, scared, hopeful, stressed, but most of all, love.

~Mikan's POV~

I have absolutely no idea what Natsume's going to do. When he turned to me with those beautiful crimson eyes, I couldn't help myself but gasp. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I couldn't even explain to you how shocked I was if I tried!

As I looked into his eyes, I saw many emotions such as excitement, nervousness, shyness, fear, hope, stress….and something I could not identify. Now I'm kind of nervous and confused. No one has looked at me the way he is now. No one has shown me so many emotions like this…..and the emotion was really strong!

"Mikan….I….." Natsume started. It seemed as if he were having a hard time saying what he wanted. I nodded, gesturing him to go on. "I l-lo…." He took a deep breath and let it out with a look of irritation on his face.

I cocked my head to the side, raising one eyebrow. I noticed Natsume blush a bit but I just pushed the subject out of my head. I looked Natsume in the eyes, wondering what he was going to say. Natsume closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mikan, I-I love you!" he said all of a sudden.

When he said that, my heart skipped a beat….and then, it started beating faster. My eyes went wide and I felt my face go red. Butterflies were creating a tornado in my stomach. I tried to say something to him, that I love him too, but when I tried to open my mouth, my body wouldn't listen to me. I was completely frozen…like a statue! I couldn't move.

Natsume looked up at me. I still couldn't move. We stayed like that for about one minute and my eyes had gone back to their regular size. But, I still couldn't move! MOVE MIKAN! MOVE IT ALREADY YOU IDIOT!

When I didn't say anything, I saw hurt in Natsume's eyes. And it really broke my heart. But I STILL COULDN'T MOVE! GOSH DANG IT! MIKAN, SAY SOMETHING! MOVE YOU FREAKING MORON! WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE SUCH A DOLT? MOVE IT LADY!

Natsume looked down to the ground, his bangs covering his eyes. He slipped his hand out of mine and stood up. He backed away slowly, still not allowing me to see the expression on his face.

"I-I'm sorry….I s-shouldn't have told you that" and with that, he turned around and ran out of the clearing and away from me.

It was then that my body decided to let me move again and regain my speech.

"Natsume….." I whispered, looking at the place he disappeared.

How could I be so stupid? How could I just let him slip out of my fingers? I heard my phone ring but I just let it do so. Right now, I was just thinking of the biggest slip up I had ever made IN MY LIFE…well, so far. But, I'm pretty sure this is the biggest slip up anyone could create. I felt my ache. I put my hands up to my chest, trying to ease the pain as crystal tears made their way down my cheeks.

I want Natsume to come back. I want to tell him I feel the same! I want to be with him forever! But…I highly doubt that he'll talk to me after this…. Of course he wouldn't! He just confessed to me and I didn't say anything! I just stared at him wide eyed like an idiot! I let the chance slip right past me!

I stood up angrily, trying to wipe the tears off of my face. But, no matter what I did, more just kept on coming. I messed up. Bad. And I need to fix this. So, I did the only thing I could think of: run to Hotaru, tell her everything, and make up a plan to make Natsume mine and fix this huge mess.

~Natsume's POV~

I left Mikan there, in the clearing. I couldn't stand to just stay there. I couldn't stand to just listen to the silence. I couldn't stand the fact that the girl that I fell in love with didn't love me back. When I told her...she didn't say anything. And that pretty much means she doesn't feel the same.

I ran back home, tears falling down my cheeks. This is the first time I've ever cried. I never cried over anything before. Well, except for when I was a baby but that is different. The only person who could make me cry broke my heart. I feel like my heart shattered into a million pieces and its shards kept on piercing me through my chest. I couldn't take the pain.

I ran home and into the house. And my sister and parents saw my tear stained face. I just ignored them when they asked me what was wrong and ran into my room, locking myself in. This is the first time I've ever felt this, so...it feels horrible. It feels worse than anything I've ever felt.

I flopped myself on my bed, not bothering to change out of my clothes. For the rest of the night, I thought of Mikan; of how she didn't say anything after I confessed, of how she just stared at me...of how she broke my heart.

~Mikan's POV~

I stayed up all night last night. I didn't get a wink of sleep. And I didn't care. All I cared about was getting Natsume to listen to me. All I cared about was to tell Natsume that I felt the same, that I loved him as well. All I cared about was getting Natsume to listen to me...even though I know I probably broke his heart. But I have to do this! I have to get everything ready to make Natsume come to the concert...and just listen.

Last night, I made a song. And yes, this is the first time. I just wanted to make this special...because he IS special. He's very special to me. He's everything! I have to show Hotaru this song and give the chords to Hiro, Koko, Anna, and Nonoko. They're playing in a band with me. Ha, you could say they're backing me up because they're part of the plan that Hotaru and I made up.

Last night, Ruka, Hiro, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu, Tsubasa senpai, Tono senpai, and Misaki senpai met up with me in the park and I told them everything. And my parents came too so they also know. They approved of it too. So, now, after I get these lyrics and chords to Hotaru, our plan will go into action! It's already noon, so I have to get this all done. Yawn, I need a nap!

Quickly, I pulled on a skirt that went to mid thigh, a light pink tank top, a denim jacket that matched my skirt, and some navy blue Keds. I ran downstairs without any food (I didn't eat anything today) and ran to Hotaru's house.

When I got there, I found that everyone was already there. I was panting as I handed Hotaru the sheets of music. She read over it and nodded approvingly. I gave a small smile before I flopped down on the couch next to Koko.

"Mikan, you look horrible!" Koko said, chuckling.

I glared at him and said "I was up all night making that song and practicing it along with two others."

"Mikan, get some sleep okay? We'll wake you up when it's time to get you ready for the concert" Anna told me, leading me up to Hotaru's room.

I nodded weakly and let Anna put me in the bed. I need some sleep before the concert or I will probably pass out during the concert. I'm pooped! Once my head hit the pillow, I was asleep, hoping with all my heart that this plan will work.

~Normal POV~

Anna went downstairs and back to the rest of the group. She joined the group huddle.

"Okay, now all we have to do is get the most perfect dress for Mikan and then we can start the plan" Hotaru said, looking around at her friends.

"I know the perfect place we can go" Sumire said, grinning.

The friends nodded and headed out the house and to Central town to look for the perfect dress. Sumire led them to a small store with dresses displayed in the window. They all walked in and started to browse the racks, hoping to find the perfect dress.

"Guys, we should look for a red dress. It's Natsume's favorite color" Ruka called out to all the others in the small store.

All of them nodded and did just what Ruka told them. It wasn't until 30 minutes later until Sumire found something. And let me tell you that the store was packed with a lot of dresses no matter how small the shop looked.

"I found one!" Sumire exclaimed.

The group all rushed to her side and admired the dress as Sumire smirked. The dress was red with a black sash wrapped around the waist. It was spaghetti strapped and the top was strait cut. The top of the dress was made to hug the girl's curves and the bottom, below the waist, was made to flow out. The underneath of the skirt had a layer of black ruffles. The skirt ended at mid thigh. All in all, it looked beautiful yet sexy. (A/N: I just made this up! Sorry, no visual!)

"That's perfect!" the group exclaimed.

They all ran to the register and purchased it. They quickly ran back to Hotaru's house and decided to use the black strappy heels as Mikan's footwear. Hotaru started to give off instructions to get their master plan started.

"Alright, Misaki, I need you, Tsubasa, and Ruka to persuade Natsume to go to the concert tonight. Do anything you have to; even if you have to drag him" Hotaru said. "Sumire, I need you to help me with Mikan's outfit and make up. Koko, Hiroshima, Anna, and Nonoko, I need you to practice Mikan's song without the vocals and lead guitar. Do you think you can do that? I'll let all of you practice together before the concert. Alright, operation Get Mikan and Natsume Together is a go!"

With that, the friends split up to do their assigned jobs. Hotaru and Sumire went upstairs to wake up Mikan seeing that it was already sunset and they needed to get Mikan ready. Koko, Anna, Nonoko, and Hiroshima went to the stage at the festival to practice and Misaki and her crew went to the Hyuuga residence. Hmmm, let's follow Misaki, Tsubasa and Ruka shall we?

"Natsume!" Misaki called, knocking on Natsume's door.

"Go away" was the muffled reply of Natsume.

"C'mon Natsume, open up!" Ruka called.

There was a moment of silence before they heard shuffling. The door cracked open to give them a view of a young man that had the most depressed look you could imagine his eyes were even redder than a regular person's due to his crying and unique eye color.

"What do you want?" he asked, whispering.

"We wanna show you something! Come on Natsume!" Tsubasa said, begging the said guy.

"No" Natsume tried to close the door until his father kept it open.

"Natsume, you need to stop sulking and get out of this room. Just face whatever problem you're dealing with and get a breath of fresh air. Trust me, it'll get better." Natsume's father, Ioran said.

All was quiet at that region of the house until Natsume gave a stressed out sigh.

"Fine" he said, looking down to the ground "I'll go."

"Yeah!" Tsubasa and Ruka chorused, pumping their fists into the air.

"But first" Misaki started, putting a finger on her chin while looking at her brother up and down, "we need to get you dressed."

Tsubasa and Ruka, after hearing this, grinned somewhat evilly, scaring Natsume a bit. 'This is gonna be fun' Tsubasa and Ruka thought.

The trio entered Natsume's room and Ioran left, chuckling to himself.

~Mikan's POV~

As I got out of the shower, Hotaru got a call from Ruka.

"Alright! We got Natsume to come!" Ruka whispered into the phone. I was still able to hear it though.

Permy and I listened in to the conversation. Ruka said "We are just getting Natsume dressed up into something...awesome."

I swear I heard Ruka smirk! I know that he was planning something evil for his best friend. Oh, now I feel even MORE bad for Natsume! I'm the one who got him into this whole mess!

"Good work Ruka." Hotaru said before ending the call.

Permy and Hotaru looked at me. Not long after that, I had a robe wrapped around me and Permy was doing my hair. She blow dried it first and then started to make my hair more voluminous. Then, she grabbed a curling iron and made it wavy. Not curly, wavy. I have no idea how she did it, but when she was done, my hair had the perfect amount of wave and volume. It looked, honestly, sexy!

Then, it was Hotaru's turn. She turned towards her and started on my make up. She put on some smokey eye shadow and some mascara. She put some blush on me and red lip stick and lip gloss to top it off. It went really well with my hair.

After, the two pulled me into the room and helped me put on the dress. It was BEAUTIFUL! And also, it was very...sexy. I looked into the mirror and blushed a bright red. I saw Permy and Hotaru smirk.

"What are you trying to make me look like?" I practically yelled at them, still blushing madly.

"What does it look like? My, my Mikan! You're one sexy beast!" Permy said to me, clapping her hands.

"With that outfit, you're definitely going to give all the boys in the crowd a nosebleed" Hotaru said, her smirk growing wider.

"Heck, even I almost got a nosebleed" Permy stated, smirking even more.

I didn't think it was possible until I blushed an even brighter red.

"Awww, don't be so embarrassed Mimi" Permy said, "It's not like you look like a slut! You look very sexy in a modest way. Plus, it's part of the plan."

"I-I didn't ev-ven h-hear this p-part of the p-plan!" I stuttered, trying my best to stop this blush.

"Oops, guess it slipped our minds to tell you" Hotaru and Permy chorused, smirking evilly.

"This is the part of the plan to make that guy kiss you. Plus, how could any guy with the right mind say no to you when you're dressed like that? Of course, when you tell him how you feel, he'll definitely say yes." Permy said.

"B-but, it's not like I have to dress like…like THIS" I said, pointing to myself. "If he really does like me, he'll say yes if I'm wearing the ugliest clothes on earth!"

"Well, yeah, but we want him to kiss you." Permy replied once more.

I WAS going to tell them that Natsume and I almost kissed a couple of days ago, but I decided not to. That would only lead to disaster.

I sighed. Besides, it's not like I can do anything about it. If I try to change out of this clothes, I will get in huge trouble with them. The two of them led me to the stage at the festival successfully without anyone seeing us. How they did it, I have no idea. But, hey, at least it worked.

When Anna, Nonoko, Hiro, and Koko saw me, they all started whooping and wolf whistling. I blushed once more.

"Wooo! Check out Mikan!" Koko exclaimed, giving me a loud whistle.

"M-Mikan…." Anna, Nonoko, and Hiro chorused, all blushing like crazy. And that made me blush even more.

"Wait, Mikan" Permy said. I turned around just in time for her to spray me with some sort of perfume. Mmmmm, it smells like strawberries! My favorite!

"Ruka told me Natsume likes strawberries" Permy stated. I blushed to know of this kind of thing the both of us have in common.

I went back to my band and all of us started to practice our songs. It wasn't hard. Actually, we rocked! Soon, it was finally dark and the moon was shining down on the crowd forming in front of the stage. It was time to start the concert.

"Hey, this is the last concert of Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival!" Koko exclaimed as he walked in front of the curtains. It was still covering the rest of the band. Koko was just the announcer today.

People in the crowd started to whoop and scream, making all of us backstage chuckle.

"And let me tell you this is going to be the best one yet!" Koko said making the crowd go crazy. "Hah, and don't get me started on the outfits!"

I blushed, instantly knowing that it was me who Koko was talking about.

"Can you say HOT?" Koko laughed. I blushed even more. "Well, I don't want to bore all of you", a few chuckles from the audience, "so let's get this party started!

Koko ran back behind the curtain as it started to rise. I instantly felt nervous. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I have to do this.

I will do this.

**~Chapter 12 End~**

Yes! I gave you a cliff hanger! I'm sorry if you're mad! But, I just couldn't help it! Also, I had to! It's not my fault! Anyways, thanks for all the reviews and/or adding me to your faves and/or alerts! These people were stated in the last chapter!

Thank you all and I will update as soon as I can! I promise! So, have an awesome rest of the day! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	13. Chapter 13

Hey! It's chapter 13! And I believe I left you at a cliff hanger! I'm sorry! Well, let's not dilly dally! Let's get this chapter started! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters. They belong to Tachibana Higuchi. The songs, I also do NOT own. They belong to their respective artists though I really love these songs! :D I only own my plot line and my own made up characters!

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

"Hey, this is the last concert of Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival!" Koko exclaimed as he walked in front of the curtains. It was still covering the rest of the band. Koko was just the announcer today.

People in the crowd started to whoop and scream, making all of us backstage chuckle.

"And let me tell you this is going to be the best one yet!" Koko said making the crowd go crazy. "Hah, and don't get me started on the outfits!"

I blushed, instantly knowing that it was me who Koko was talking about.

"Can you say HOT?" Koko laughed. I blushed even more. "Well, I don't want to bore all of you", a few chuckles from the audience, "so let's get this party started!

Koko ran back behind the curtain as it started to rise. I instantly felt nervous. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I have to do this.

I will do this.

**Two Doors Down **

**~Chapter 13~**

~Mikan's POV~

As the curtain rose, there were wolf whistles and whooping...because of me. I blushed a deep DEEP red when I heard all of the comments that I was getting from the crowd. I spotted my parents video taping me and my dad was wide eyed and furious. I gave him a sheepish look and mouthed "sorry, not my idea!"

I turned my attention back to the rest of the crowd and talked into the microphone with less confidence I'd ever had in my life. Actually, I have no confidence right now at all! I was actually really freaking out! I can't believe what I'm about to do right now! Well, as I was saying, I took a deep breath and started to speak into the microphone.

"G-good evening everyone!" I stuttered, leading to more wolf whistling and whoops. "W-well, this performance is certainly d-different than the rest!"

I got a lot of applause and whistles as I blushed a deep crimson red once more.

"W-well, I just wanted to let all of you know that this concert is dedicated so someone very special to me."

"!" the audience 'ooo'-ed at the same time, making me blush more.

I took a deep breath. "So, Natsume, if you're out there listening, these songs are for you."

The crowd went crazy and started whistling as I got my guitar in place. And as practiced, when I started playing, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, and Hiro played right after me.

**Weak-SWV**

I don't know what it is that you've done to me

But it's caused me to act in such a crazy way

Whatever it is that you do when you do what you're doing

It's a feeling that I don't understand

'Cause my heart starts beating triple time

With thoughts of loving you on my mind

I can't figure out just what to do

When the cause and cure is you

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak

I loose all control and something takes over me

In a daze and it's so amazing

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me

By my side, I swallow my pride

Your love is so sweet it

Knocks me right off of my feet

Can't explain why your love it makes me weak

Time, after time, after time I try to fight it

But your love is so strong, it keeps on holding on

Resistance is down

When you're around, cries fading

In my condition, I don't want to be alone

'Cause my heart starts beating triple time

With thoughts of loving you on my mind

I can't figure out just what to do

When the cause and cure is you

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak

I loose all control and something takes over me

In a daze and it's so amazing

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me

By my side, I swallow my pride

Your love is so sweet it

Knocks me right off of my feet

Can't explain why your love it makes me weak

I try hard to fight it

No way can I deny it

Your love so sweet, it knocks me off my feet

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak

I loose all control and something takes over me

In a daze and it's so amazing

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me

By my side, I swallow my pride

Your love is so sweet it

Knocks me right off of my feet

Can't explain why your love it makes me weak

(I get so weak)

Blood starts racing through my veins

(I get so weak)

Boy, it is something I can't explain

(I get so weak)

Something 'bout the way you do

The things you do-ooo-ooo, it

(Knocks me right off of my feet)

Ohh, off my feet

Can't explain why your love it makes me weak

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak

I loose all control and something takes over me

In a daze and it's so amazing

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me

By my side, I swallow my pride

Your love is so sweet it

Knocks me right off of my feet

Can't explain why your love it makes me weak

There were lots of cheers which boosted my confidence. I smiled broadly to the crowd as Nonoko took my guitar and Anna and I wheeled a piano center stage. I grabbed the microphone and placed it on a mini stand on top of the piano. I seated myself and spoke to the crowd as I played the intro to the song on the piano.

"This song is called Valentine. And, if you've guessed, this is also for Natsume Hyuuga" I said, blushing. And then, I started singing.

**Valentine- Martina McBride**

If there were no words, no way to speak

I would still hear you

If there were no tears, no way to feel inside

I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart until the end of time

You're all I need my love, my valentine

All of my life, I have been waiting for

All you give to me

You've opened my eyes and shown me how to love

Unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before

In my dreams I couldn't love you more

I would give you my heart until the end of time

You're all I need my love, my valentine

And even if the sun refused to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart until the end of time

'Cause all I need is you my valentine

You're all I need my love, my valentine

When I finished the song, there was a whole bunch of cheering and whispers going around the crowd. I'm pretty sure everyone was finding out why I was singing a whole bunch of love songs for Natsume.

Anna helped me roll the piano off stage and I got my guitar and placed the microphone on the tall stand. I stood in front of it, looking around in the crowd. I was actually trying to find Natsume. I closed my eyes when I spotted him, hiding in the shade of the big Oak tree like he had been the last two concerts. He was wearing some dress pants and a short sleeved, white button up polo. His hair was, as always, disheveled but he still looked as handsome as ever.

I didn't want to let him know I knew he was there until I was finished with the song and I was going to say my 'speech' to him. I kept on looking around. I spotted Misaki senpai, Tono senpai, Tsubasa senpai, Youichi, Kitsu, Permy, Yuu, Ruka, and a whole bunch of random class mates of mine watching, not too far from Natsume so that they could all keep an eye on him.

I took a deep breath and spoke into the microphone. "Alright, this is the last song of the night. I just want to say that I've been up all night last night to make it. And, I've tried my best to make it sound decent. So, I hope all of you enjoy this. But most of all, I hope that a certain someone gets the message in this song."

**Fall To Pieces- Avril Lavigne**

(Mikan did NOT really create this song, just to let you know)

I look away then I look back at you

You try to say things that you can't undo

If I had my way, I'd never get over you

Today is the day, I pray that we make it through

Make it through the fall

Make it through it all

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just wanna sit and stare at you

I don't wanna talk about it

And I don't wanna conversation

I just wanna cry in front of you

I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you

You're the only one I'll be with till the end

When I come undone, you bring me back again

Back under the stars, back into your arms

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just wanna sit and stare at you

I don't wanna talk about it

And I don't wanna conversation

I just wanna cry in front of you

I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you

Wanna know who you are

Wanna know where to start

I wanna know what this means

Wanna know how you feel

Wanna know what is real

I wanna know everything, everything

I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just wanna sit and stare at you

I don't wanna to talk about it

I don't want a conversation

I just wanna cry in front of you

I don't wanna talk about it

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just wanna sit and stare at you

I don't wanna talk about it

And I don't wanna conversation

I just wanna cry in front of you

I don't wanna talk about it

'Cause I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

'Cause I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

As I was singing, I was doing a whole bunch of dancing while playing my guitar. Actually, since I was dancing, a lot of dudes got nosebleeds. I noticed that my dad was shaking his head, trying his best not to kill any of the guys here. If this situation wasn't making me nervous, I would have laughed!

When I finished the song, I got a LOT of applause. I didn't think I could pull off making my own songs! I blushed and readied myself to say my oh so great speech.

"Well, I think all of you know why I've been singing these types of songs" I said, looking around at the crowd. "But, I just want to say it myself if you don't mind."

I looked back towards the oak tree and stared Natsume right in the eyes. I could see that he was surprised and I smiled. I noticed the crowd turn around and look to the place where Natsume was standing.

"Natsume Hyuuga," I started. The whole crowd went quiet and all you could hear was crickets and the shuffling of feet. "I...I just wanted to say...I-I feel th-the same...I...I l-love you."

There were a whole lot of gasps in the crowd along with wolf whistles and whoops. I blushed and let my bangs cover my eyes as my blush grew deeper and deeper each second.

"M-meet me there...at the usual place" and with that, I took off my guitar and ran off the stage as there was a whole bunch of murmurs from the crowd.

I ran all the way to the Sakura tree. I know he knew what I meant by 'the usual place'. It was the only place where we would always meet each other. I hope he comes.

~Natsume's POV~

"Natsume Hyuuga," she started. I was practically having a heart attack. Who wouldn't when the girl of your dreams is standing, breathing unevenly due to the singing and dancing on stage after singing a love song that she made just for you wearing the sexiest dress you could ever find? I'm pretty sure I know what this song means. "I...I just wanted to say...I-I feel th-the same...I...I l-love you."

I felt my breath catch. She just said it...she...she feels the same. Even if I knew what she was going to say, I STILL had a heart attack!

"M-meet me there...at the usual place" and she took off her guitar and ran off stage.

For a moment, I just stood there, taking in what I just heard. And then, I started running; running to the only place that would be called 'the usual place' for the both of us: the Sakura tree.

By the time I got to the park, I was panting. I put my hands on my knees to calm my breath. Then, I stood up and made my way to our tree to find her staring out at the scenery, hands behind her back and the moon shining its light on her petite figure. She looked like an angel...a sexy angel. Damn it! Stupid hormones!

Actually, when I saw her onstage for the first time today, I almost had a nosebleed. And then, when she started dancing, I had to use all of my strength to keep the blood rushing up to my face from dripping out of my nose. She looked so...wow! What was she trying to do? Get all the guys in school to rape her? Well, it sure will work if she's alone and without her friends.

Anyways, back to the present: Mikan standing there like an angel. I walked up to her and she turned around, looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes.

"S-so..." she started, blushing and looking down to the ground.

I found her actions cute, so, I smiled. "So?" I 'answered' her.

"...I-I'm sorry...f-for yesterday...I probably hurt y-your feelings, huh?" she said, raising a hand to the back of her head, giving me a sheepish look as she looked up.

It was true, but I didn't want to worry her so I said nothing. Mikan looked back down and I noticed tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, a crystal tear trailed down her cheek.

I felt my eyes soften. So, I wasn't the only one who was hurt last night. I bet she felt helpless and guilty. Heh, I'd even kept her up all night making a song! I bet...I bet that Mikan and the gang actually made a plan! And if I'm correct, this and the past events are the plan.

I sighed and pulled Mikan into an embrace. I buried my face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. She still smelled like strawberries. I smiled a bit, liking the smell of my favorite fruit on her. Yes, strawberries are my favorite fruit. Got a problem with it?

Mikan hugged me back, circling her arms around my waist. "I'm sooo sorry" she whispered again. I felt her trembling in my arms.

I frowned and pulled away from her. She had more tears, one after the other, fall out of her eyes. Gently, I kissed each and every tear she shed as I felt the blood rushing into her cheeks as I kissed them. When I pulled back, she was beet red. I grinned as she raised an eyebrow at me, still obviously surprised and red.

I sat at the base of the Sakura tree, pulling Mikan down onto my lap. She gasped as she landed on my lap and I wrapped my arms around her waist. I put my chin on her shoulder, closing my eyes.

"So," I started, "What now?"

"Honestly, I don't know" Mikan answered, giggling as if she wasn't crying just a minute ago.

I rolled my eyes at her childishness. Well, her childish attitude is one reason why I love her.

"Hmm" I hummed as I drew little circles on her arm. I felt her shiver. Heh, this is cool. I have an awesome power over her huh?

I don't know what over came me. I just...I don't know! I guess you could just blame the hormones! I turned Mikan around so that she was straddling me. I kept my left hand on her waist, so she wouldn't move. She was about to say something when I used my free hand to grab her chin and pull her down. And just like that, I was kissing her.

Her lips were soft and sweet. Actually, her lips tasted just like how she smelled: like strawberries. I could tell that Mikan was surprised, but I just kept my eyes closed, kissing her. I nibbled on her lower lip, urging her to kiss me back. And after a few seconds, kiss me she did. She melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck as I moved my right hand to her waist. I knew that she was running out of air because I was too. So, I pulled back for just enough time to get some air, and I was kissing her again.

Our lips moved in sync, fitting together like puzzle pieces. I repeated this a few times, creating a hot and steamy make out session with Mikan. When I was out of breath, I pulled away from Mikan, her forehead resting on mine as I leaned against the trunk of the Sakura tree. The both of us were breathing heavily, our chests heaved up and down.

Heh, I finally got what I'd been wanting: to kiss Mikan Sakura. But, what I got was more. Mikan was flushed, and I wouldn't be surprised if I were too. Once the both of us caught our breaths, we were staring into each others eyes.

"I better get you home now" I said, lifting Mikan up and off of my lap.

She stood up and I did the same. I circled my arm around her waist and Mikan played with my fingers as the both of us walked to our houses.

I walked her to her front porch and before she opened the door, I hugged her and whispered into her ear "Mikan Sakura, you're my girl now."

I pulled back and was about to kiss her when her father stepped out of the house and interrupted us with an "Oh, Mikan you're home!" I bet he did it on purpose.

Izumi-san pulled his daughter into a warm embrace as he glared at me as if saying "Don't touch my daughter you scum."

I nodded to the man in understanding as he let Mikan go.

"Come on in Mikan! We're having dinner now!" Her dad started to lead her into their house when Mikan stopped him.

"Wait just one second Dad." Then, she came up to me and gave me a hug. "See you later Natsume."

Then, she stood on her tippy toes and gave me a peck on the lips. I blushed at deep red as her father's jaw dropped to the floor, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh, and happy birthday" she whispered into my ear.

She stepped back, backing away towards the door. Then, she grabbed her father's arm, who was still frozen in shock, and pulled him into the house. As she was closing the door, she gave a small smile. Then, the door hid her figure from me once more.

I almost forgot it was my birthday I mused as I walked to my house, grinning like an idiot. And when I walked in through the door, I was still grinning like an idiot. Mom, Dad, and Misaki all looked at me like it was the end of the world. Dad was the first one to snap out of their trance.

"So, what's got you on cloud nine Natsume?" Dad asked.

My answer you ask? Well, that idiotic grin still on my face, I said "A make out session with Mikan Sakura."

~Mikan's POV~

As I closed the door to my house, I gave one last smile to Natsume. I can't believe I just kissed Natsume in front of Dad! Aww man, I'm sure Dad will have a fit once he gets out of his trance. But, I couldn't help it! I just HAD to kiss him! I mean, he was practically begging for it before Dad came out! And, plus, I wanted to kiss him too.

I remembered when Natsume and I were...you know...m-making out underneath our Sakura tree. Just thinking about it makes me get butterflies and blush and stuff all over again! When I came back to the present, I was blushing...hard. So, I shook my head, keeping my eyes shut tight to get the feelings and images out of my head.

"What's wrong with your dad Mikan?" Mom asked me, poking dad with a… a fork? Wait, why was she doing that?

"U-uh...I" and that's when Dad decided to get back to his senses.

"Mikan! Why did you do that?" Dad asked, yelling/crying while running to me and giving me a hug. "He ruined your innocence! He's gonna pay!" Dad was saying weird stuff in a scary voice.

He trudged towards the door. I ran in front of him to stop him. Oh, what a wrong move. He looked as if he could kill. I'd never seen him do this!

"D-don't worry! I was the one who did it! I did it!" I said, raising my hands in defense.

Dad stopped, eyes wide. He sighed an "okay" and walked towards the dining room. Mom and I just stood there, dumbfounded. Then, all of a sudden, Mom turned towards me with a grin on her face.

"So, what happened BEFORE you gave a peck on the lips to Natsume?" Mom asked me in a whisper.

I stared at her, wide eyed. "You know?"

"No, I don't. It was just a wild guess but you just let me know something did happen between you two."

I blushed because of my stupidity and the remembrance of the scene under the Sakura tree.

"W-well...Natsume and I m-made out" I blushed.

**~Chapter 13 End~**

Yay! They kissed-no, made out! Haha! I hope all of you are happy 'cause I've never kissed a dude before! I'm just asking for help from my Mommy! Oh, and from reading! Yeah, mostly from reading! Do you know how awkward it is to talk about kissing with your parent and/or guardian? Yeah, let me tell you this: WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!

Anywho, Thanks for reading this and I would love to thank all of those who reviewed! I'm sorry I can't put all of your names down! I'm really pressed for time!

Anywho, thanks for reviewing everyone! I love you all! So, I'm going to now! Thanks everyone!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	14. Chapter 14

Hey everyone! I'm back! So, I would just like to tell you this: I hope you all like this chapter and lots of thanks for the reviews! So, let's get this chapter started! :D

**DISCAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They both belong to the brilliant Tachibana Higuchi! Plus, I don't think I could have made anything as great as that Manga up! Haha, laugh away the shame... :'(

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(So...are you bored of this intro now?)

"So, what happened BEFORE you gave a peck on the lips to Natsume?" Mom asked me in a whisper.

I stared at her, wide eyed. "You know?"

"No, I don't. It was just a wild guess but you just let me know something did happen between you two."

I blushed because of my stupidity and the remembrance of the scene under the Sakura tree.

"W-well...Natsume and I… m-made out" I blushed.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 14~**

~Mikan's POV~

I woke up the next morning with the biggest smile on my face. I can't believe I feel so great after last night! I finally got Natsume for myself and no one can take him away from me! Yay!

I put on some light blue denim shorts and a long sleeved dark pink shirt with navy blue converse, seeing that it was actually just the clean up day for Gakuen Alice's Fall Festival. Once we clean up, the students dress up in nice clothing and we all will have a nice celebration and dance! It's going to be so fun! I bet Natsume will have a great time, just like at the Festival!

When I was fully ready for school, I went downstairs and headed into the dining room. I found that my parents were there too!

"Good morning Mom and Dad!" I greeted, smiling.

"Good morning honey!" Mom answered, smiling as big as me as she handed me a plate of waffles.

"Thanks Mom! How are you Dad?" I said, sitting on the table.

"Hmm...fine" Dad said in a depressed tone.

"I'm sorry Dad" I said, getting up and rubbing his back. "But, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I have to grow up sometime."

I blushed as I said this. And when Dad nodded in understanding, I smiled and sat down in my seat. Breakfast was awkward with Dad sulking in his seat. So when I was finished with my food, I cleaned my dishes and noticed that Dad was STILL sulking! I sweat dropped.

DING-DONG

"Uh, I'll answer it!" I said, going to the front door.

I opened the door and saw...Natsume? He was standing there, looking as cool as ever, hands in his pocket while he leaned against the wall. When Natsume saw me, a warm smile crept its way onto his face. I found myself blushing at the sight of him.

"Hey, you ready?" Natsume asked me, standing up strait. He was wearing a pair of blue denim shorts and a green shirt with a black hoodie along with converse.

"U-uh, yeah. Just hold on!" I said, turning around to see both of my parents watching me from the dining room. "Mom, Dad, I'm going now! See you later!"

"Oh, Mikan, do you have your phone?" Mom asked me. I nodded and showed it to her and then put it back into my pocket.

"Alright, make that school shine okay Mikan?" Mom asked, showing me a thumbs up.

"Okay!" I said, pumping my fist in the air.

The both of us giggled and I stepped outside, closing the door. Natsume and I walked down the pathway and onto the side walk. And once we were far enough away from my house that we couldn't see it anymore, Natsume wrapped his right arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

I blushed as Natsume hid his face in the crook of my neck as we walked. I could feel his breath on my neck and that only made me blush harder.

"H-hey...what's up?" I stuttered out the question.

"What are you talking about?" Natsume raised his head to give me a grin.

"You know...why are you acting all cuddly all of a sudden?" I managed to ask without stuttering.

"'Cause if I did when we were in sight of your house, your Dad would have gone crazy" Natsume shrugged.

"Hm, good point!" I replied cheerily.

So, the rest of the walk to Gakuen Alice was in a comfortable silence. Natsume had his arm wrapped around my waist as I played with his fingers, giggling once in a while when Natsume would tell me random comments like "You look pretty" and stuff. Honestly, I found all of it hilarious! I'd never seen Natsume act this way...It was totally new!

When we got to the stage, there was a huge ruckus going on.

"Hey! Get it down!" a girl said.

"Don't hurt it!" Another cried, being hugged by her friends.

"What's going on?" I asked Koko when Natsume and I found them.

Koko didn't face us as he answered "Her cat got stuck on the wooden beam over the-" and that's when he turned around. And I would like to say this: Natsume and my position was awkward if it weren't just Natsume and me.

Natsume was standing behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist as his face was buried into the crook of my neck. I was leaning back into Natsume's chest and my arms were wound around his neck. I'm pretty sure I was blushing too, so that also contributed to Koko's next phrase.

"Wow, what happened between you two love birds? Now, before you both go a lovey dovey on us, you should at least take the precautions of safe-"

"Shut it Yome" Natsume muttered darkly, glaring at Koko while cutting off his sentence.

Koko sweat dropped and raised his hands in defense. "H-hey, I'm just saying you have to be safe with these kinds of things! T-that's all..." Koko got quiet the last two words.

I blushed even more and I let go of Natsume and got out of his warm embrace reluctantly.

"S-so, what's going on?" I asked once more, hoping to avoid the conversation that Koko dragged up.

"Oh, right. Well, that girl's" Koko said, pointing to the crying girl, "cat is up on that wooden beam. Don't ask me how it happened! I don't even know WHY she brought her cat to school today!"

I looked up to the said beam on the stage as I hummed in confirmation. I walked up to Narumi sensei on stage and tugged on his shirt. Right now, he was trying to get the cat off of the beam with a broom. I looked up at him, giving sensei a bright smile.

"I'll get the cat down for you" I said. "All I need is a really tall ladder!"

"You would do that for us Mikan?" Narumi sensei asked hopefully.

I nodded in confirmation. Narumi sensei smiled widely and gave me a bone crushing hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Mikan!" Narumi sensei squealed like a girl. Sometimes, I wonder if this guy is gay or not.

"C-can't b-br-eathe!" I gasped.

"Oh, heheh, sorry" Narumi sensei said sheepishly as he let me go.

I breathed once more, thankful for oxygen. Then, a guy named Mochu got me a ladder and stood it up to a wooden pole. I thanked him and started climbing, thankful I wasn't wearing a skirt. I climbed onto the wooden beam and started crawling to the cat because it just HAD to start going away from me. It was a white cat with black spots. It had beautiful green eyes. The cat was sooo cute!

"Come here kitty" I called out, reaching a hand out to it.

"Be careful Mikan!" I heard Anna, Nonoko, and Permy call out.

"Keep your balance idiot" I heard Hotaru say. I smiled at that comment. Hotaru never ceases to amaze me in the way she shows her affection and concern.

I crawled farther and I finally got the kitty into my arms. But, I wasn't able to crawl if I was using my hands to carry the kitty. Hmmm...All of a sudden, an idea came into my head. So, I decided it was worth a try. I slowly and steadily stood up on the wooden beam. It was wide enough for my feet to fit on so I should be fine. What? I'm not THAT clumsy!

I heard a whole bunch of worried voices and gasps as I did this, but I tried to concentrate on not falling. So, I slowly walked my way to the other end of the beam to where the ladder was perched.

"Almost there..." I muttered to myself as I hear the cat mew.

All of a sudden, I felt a rock hit me and before I knew it, I slipped. I thought I heard snickers; there's only one person who snickers like that: Koizumi. And as soon as I heard that snicker, I grabbed hold of the wooden beam with one hand, feeling the wood cut my skin. I hissed as I felt the pain. I saw Koizumi looking at me with an evil glint in her eyes.

"You're going to pay for taking Natsume away from me Mikan Sakura" Koizumi mouthed to me. I noticed that she was making her way to a very worried Natsume.

I felt my hand loosing its strength as I started loosing gripping material. In other words, I was slipping.

The whole class was in a panic, trying to reach me or get a trampoline or positioning themselves to catch me. Honestly on the inside, I was panicking too. I was really REALLY scared right now!

"I'm slipping!" I groaned so that the people below me would hear.

That sent them panicking even more! I really wish they all would help me already! I groaned once again in pain as I felt the wood cutting my hand even more! I'm pretty sure I'll need some intense treating for my hand after this. It hurt like hell! I shut my eyes in pain and tightened my grip on the cat so that it wouldn't fall.

By now, I was muttering a whole bunch of curses and telling myself "Just hold on!" And then, I remembered this weird poster that Koko showed me once. On it, there was a cat hanging on a rope and it had a caption that said "Just keep hanging Baby" or something like that. It looked completely weird so that's what made it funny!

I couldn't help but giggle at the memory but I immediately stopped when I heard some arguing below me. I ignored the pain in my hand and I looked down towards where I left Natsume; the place the commotion was coming from. I saw Koizumi...talking to Natsume? No, more like trying to seduce him. Natsume was yelling at Koizumi, trying to push her away as Koizumi just kept on saying a whole load of crap.

Despite Natsume trying to get away from Koizumi, I still felt my blood boil. Ugh, that Koizumi! She's a freaking...you know! She's a...a...a bitch! There, I said it! Ah, it feels surprisingly great to finally say that! Haha, I feel as light as a feather!

All of a sudden, I felt my hand slip once more, the cut growing bigger. Never mind! I'm definitely NOT as light as a feather! Gosh, I must be hanging on the part of the beam that has a nail in it!

"O-OW!" I screamed in pain as I felt myself slip again, the nail digging into my skin. Yup, I was definitely sure that there was a nail there. "S-Somebody help me already!" I groaned.

"GET AWAY FROM ME BITCH! CAN'T YOU SEE MIKAN'S IN TROUBLE YOU IDIOT?" I heard Natsume yell. I'm pretty sure he was yelling at Koizumi and I really wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. My hand was stinging!

I saw a trail of blood trickle down my arm. I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut, praying that I won't let go and fall. I whimpered a bit as I felt the nail scratch my skin.

"Mikan, I'm right here!" I heard Narumi sensei just a little below me. I looked down, tears flowing out of my eyes.

"Narumi sensei, take the cat really quick" I said, my voice trembling. "I-I need to unhook my hand...it's caught on the nail."

Sensei nodded and took the cat, handing it down the ladder. I put the hand I had been carrying the cat with and held myself up on the beam. I unhooked my hand and let it hang down freely. Great, my right hand, which is my writing hand, is completely jacked up. Sigh, just my luck.

Narumi sensei's eyes widened when he saw my hand. But, he was still able to keep his head and help me down the ladder. When we got down, I clutched my right hand tightly, doubling over in pain. I whimpered as Narumi sensei rubbed my back, yelling for someone to get the school nurse.

"Mikan!" a deep voice called. I looked over to see Natsume coming over to me, a worried expression on his face. "Are you okay? Let me see."

Natsume gently grabbed my hand and gasped at the sight. His face portrayed the emotions of shock, worry, nervous, scared, and a whole bunch of other emotions along those lines. Natsume picked me up and carried me bridal style, running me to the nurse's office.

"How'd you fall?" Natsume asked me, panting a bit as he ran.

"Oh...u-uh K-Koizumi..." Should I tell him that she did? And then, I remembered what she did when I was hanging for dear life on the wooden beam. And then, my most evil side came out.

"What did she do now?" Natsume growled before I could even open my mouth.

"Well, she threw a rock at me and made me loose my balance" I said quietly.

Natsume seethed in anger, his eyebrow twitching. We were both quiet for the rest of the run until we got to the nurse's office. The nurse fixed up my hand and told me that I'm pretty lucky because the cut wasn't so deep that I didn't have to get stitches. So now, I'm pretty glad for that!

When I was all patched up, Natsume led me out of the nurse's office and we started walking towards the area we set up the stage at as a class. Natsume looked so worried! He kept sneaking glances at me, trying to see if I were alright. And when it came that it was the billionth time he'd looked at me, I sighed and stopped, making him stop as well.

"Natsume, I'm fine! Don't worry! I don't even need stitches!" I said, raising my injured hand when I said the last sentence.

"Yeah, but your hand is jacked up" Natsume said, grabbing hold of my injured hand gently.

"I know, but I'll get by. I mean, Koizumi's done a whole bunch of stuff like this to me! Even BEFORE you came here, so I think I'll be able to live" I told him, smiling.

Natsume sighed and shook his head, pulling me into his warm embrace. "It doesn't matter. She still hurt you."

"I know, "I replied. "But, I don't think that we can do anything about it. We don't have any proof that she did any bad deeds."

"But if you tell Narumi that she threw the rock at you, I'm sure he'd believe you. You know that if Koizumi's done a lot of stuff like that, she will be labeled as a trouble maker and she can easily get in trouble if accused."

"Well, you've got a point there…."

"Hn. So tell Narumi."

"Sigh, fine. I will."

Natsume pulled back from the embrace and gave me a heart warming smile that was only for me. I giggled as he kissed my jaw and hugged me even tighter. When Natsume pulled away, we started walking, his arm wrapped around my waist as did mine.

"Why does Koizumi seem to hate you so much?" Natsume asked me.

"Hmm, now that you asked, I don't know. She never really was willing to get to know me. From the first time we met, she's always hurt me either physically or mentally. You know?"

"Hn."

When we got back to the stage, people were already pulling it down and taking it apart. I told Narumi sensei that Koizumi threw a rock at me while I was walking on the wooded beam and she did get in trouble. Heheh, I have such a smart boyfriend! Now, Koizumi's suspended for a week because of trying to hurt me and tomorrow, we all will be starting our lessons.

A few hours later, all of the work for cleaning up was done and Tsubasa senpai, Tono senpai, Misaki senpai, Anna, Nonoko, Kitsu, Koko, Permy, Yuu, Hotaru, Ruka, Hiro, Youichi along with his parents, Natsume and I were all walking home, just talking about random things. Actually, I was carrying Youichi. His parents were walking a little ahead of the group and Youichi actually looked very tired so I decided that I should carry him. Natsume walked beside me, his arm wrapped around my waist and his head resting on top of mine.

"So, did you do anything last night for your birthday?" I asked Natsume, whispering because of the sleeping Youichi.

"No" Natsume whispered back.

"Then we should do something this weekend."

"It's okay. The Gakuen Alice Fall Festival is a huge enough celebration. Besides, I already got my present" Natsume said, squeezing me tightly while a small smile adorned his face.

I blushed as he did this, a small smile of my own on my face.

"Awww, look at the happy family!" Koko said, pointing at me, Natsume and Youichi.

The others looked, along with Yo's parents and they all started laughing.

"They're such a cute family!" Anna cooed.

Nonoko nodded, clasping her hands as Permy laughed.

"You three really do look like a family" Ruka-pyon said, smiling next to Hotaru.

"W-we do n-not!" Natsume and I stuttered. We blushed even more when we said that together.

Hotaru being Hotaru grabbed out her camera out of no where and started snapping pictures of the three of us. Koko was still laughing his head off at our blushing faces. I couldn't help but glare at him.

"I-it's true! You're the cutest family ever!" Koko laughed.

Hotaru shot him with her baka gun as she walked up to me, Natsume and Youichi, camera in hand. Then, she turned it around and showed us the screen. And what I saw was definitely like a small family. But, it was us! Me, Natsume and Youichi were on the screen, actually looking like a happy family! I blushed even more as I faced the facts.

It was a few minutes of the group laughing at us before we had split up. Youichi's parents asked Natsume and I if it were alright for us to baby sit Youichi just for a little because they had some errands. And, of course, we said yes. So now, Misaki senpai, Natsume, Youichi, and I were walking down our street to the Hyuuga household.

"Ne, Natsume? Can we go to my house really quick? I need to do something real quick" I asked.

"Sure" Natsume said.

"I'll go tell Mom and Dad we have guests" Misaki senpai told Natsume.

And then, Misaki senpai went into her house as Natsume and I continued to my house with Youichi.

**~Chapter 14 End~**

Yay! This chapter is finally done! I hope all of you liked it! I worked so hard for all of you! Besides, I'm happy that all of you readers read this story! I hope it's not too boring for you! I just love Koko! Kyaa! :D I would love to have Koko as one of my close friends! We'd get along great!

Anywho, I just want to say thanks to all of you for reviewing and/or adding me to your favorites and/or alerts! Sorry for not posting your names and not replying to your reviews! I'm just going through a lot right now...bad things happen and my bad times are now...so please do be patient!

Anyways, thanks so much! I love you guys! But not in that way! Eww, such wrong minds people! ^-^

Well, I hope that you all keep reading! Once again, sorry for not replying to your reviews personally! I swear I read all of them! More than twice too! You all make me feel so special! It's just that I don't have much time anymore! You see, my life's been peaceful for the whole of last year so the craziness in life is finally catching up to me! I hope all of you understand!

Well, I gotta go now! I hope all of you have a great day and, well, great forever? Does that make sense? If it does, then I hope you have one! Haha!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	15. Chapter 15

Hey! I'm back! Did you miss me? :D Anywho, some people think that this story is done and over with. But, it's not! I have so many things in store for this story! I bet it's going to be, like, 30-40 chapters long! I hope all of you don't mind and don't get bored of it! :D

Well, I don't want to waste anymore precious time so I'll go on ahead and start the chapter! Please RnR! Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story's plot and the random characters that I make up! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Ahh, sweet perfection! :D)

It was a few minutes of the group laughing at us before we had split up. Youichi's parents asked Natsume and I if it were alright for us to baby sit Youichi just for a little because they had some errands. And, of course, we said yes. So now, Misaki senpai, Natsume, Youichi, and I were walking down our street to the Hyuuga household.

"Ne, Natsume? Can we go to my house really quick? I need to do something real quick" I asked.

"Sure" Natsume said.

"I'll go tell Mom and Dad we have guests" Misaki senpai told Natsume.

And then, Misaki senpai went into her house as Natsume and I continued to my house with Youichi.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 15~**

~Natsume's POV~

When Mikan and I got to her house, we were instantly greeted by her mother. When her eyes laid on us, they instantly lit up and she ran towards us, snapping pictures with her camera she pulled out of thin air.

"Oh, you three look so cute! You look like a happy family! Awwwww!" Yuka-san squealed.

Mikan and I blushed as we shushed Yuka because of the sleeping child Mikan was holding.

"O-oh, sorry!" Yuka whispered.

"Can you take Youichi, Natsume?" Mikan asked in a whisper, turning to me. "I need to go upstairs. Stay down here okay?"

I nodded as I took Youichi from her grasp and she headed upstairs.

"Come sit on the couch Natsume!" Yuka said, leading me to the couch. "Oh, and you can call me Auntie if you wish! You can call Mikan's dad Uncle."

I nodded to her and sat down. Auntie then left to get snacks even though I told her we would be leaving for my house after Mikan was done. A few minutes after Auntie left, Uncle came in and sat down across from me. He was glaring at me, a wary expression in his eyes.

"So" Uncle started after a minute of silence, "Are you two a…..couple now?" It sounded as if Uncle had a hard time saying the word 'couple'.

I nodded to the man none the less. His glare strengthened as I did this. So, I avoided his contact by looking down and Youichi's sleeping face, looking for any signs of him waking up. Oh, Youichi, please wake up!

Instead of giving me my plea, the gods decided to give me something else that would help. Auntie Yuka came in and set down a plate of fruit-kabobs. Uncle Izumi picked one up and gave me a look that said "go ahead…get one." SO, I did.

Awkwardly, I reached my hand out and picked one up, taking a bite into the first fruit; a strawberry. Mmmmm, strawberries, my favorite. The taste reminded me of…Mikan's….taste….

I blushed at the thought. I just made everything even more awkward in this head of mine! And now, I was itching to kiss Mikan again! And she and I just …m-made o-out….yesterday! I can't want to do it again! Oh well, I guess I can just blame the hormones.

I jumped when I felt hands touch my shoulder. I quickly looked back and when I saw it was Mikan, I instantly calmed down…sort of. I was just…staring at her lips…in front of her parents…oh god.

"Natsume, is there something wrong?" Mikan asked me, worry in her expression.

"Don't worry, Mikan!" Auntie Yuka said. "You're father probably just got him a little shaken up! There's nothing to worry about!"

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" Mikan groaned, giving her dad a questioning, annoyed glance.

"What?" Uncle Izumi asked, looking at his only daughter.

"Why'd you do that?" Mikan pouted, sitting down next to me on the couch.

Uncle Izumi was going to answer when we all heard a little mumble coming from Youichi. We all looked and he sat up in my lap, rubbing his eyes cutely. He looked around, confused.

"What's everyone looking at?" Youichi asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing Youichi! Do you want a fruit-kabob?" Mikan asked, handing one to him.

Youichi smiled and took it from Mikan's hand, taking a small bite off of a pineapple. Mikan smiled at him and looked up to me, still smiling. I gave her a small smile back and I heard her mother squeal once more.

"Izumi, don't they look like a happy family like that?" Auntie Yuka shook her husband.

Instead of agreeing, smiling happily, Uncle Izumi just scowled and got up to go away.

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss, Izumi!" Auntie Yuka chased after her husband. I sweat dropped.

"Well," Mikan started after putting down a finished fruit-kabob, "Do you wanna go now?"

"Yeah" I answered.

The both of us stood up, me still carrying Youichi, and went to the front door.

"Mom, Dad, we're going now!" Mikan called.

We heard a muffled voice that sounded like "Okay!" So, we left.

The both of us walked the small distance to my house. I felt as if someone were watching me, so I looked around to see Koizumi looking through an upstairs window, staring down at me with a seductive look. I almost puked. I looked away. But, at the corner of my eyes, I saw that she was giving deadly glares at Mikan. Seriously, what is up with this bitch?

I let Mikan into the house first, holding the door open as Youichi jumped out of my grasp. And before I stepped into the house, I gave a menacing glare at Koizumi who has been watching my every move ever since Mikan and I walked in front of her house. And with that, I walked into the house for a conversation I wished we'd never have.

~Mikan's POV~

"So" Auntie Kaoru started, looking at me as I headed into the house, "Are you and my little Natsume a couple now?"

Nervously, I nodded, confirming their suspicion.

Auntie Kaoru squealed as her eyes lit up, clasping her hands in front of her. "Yay! Now Natsume doesn't have to feel awkward when we talk about relationships!"

"Mom!" I heard Natsume behind me, closing the door.

I giggled at what Natsume's mom said. Haha! I never knew Natsume felt awkward when they talked about relationships!

"You know," Auntie Koaru went on as if Natsume hadn't interrupted her, "You are Natsume's first girlfriend AND first kiss!"

I turned around to Natsume and he was blushing madly. Cute! But, all of a sudden, Auntie Kaoru put her arm around my shoulders and led me to the living room and sat me on the couch, pulling out a photo album from a drawer.

"Ooooh, and this will be the first time I ever showed a girl Natsume's photo album!" Auntie Kaoru was about to open the album when a pair of hands came and took it away.

"NO. Bad Mom" Natsume scolded his mother, giving her a stern look. His mom looked down, as if she were about to cry.

I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Natsume's eyes soften and he started comforting his Mom. His family was funny! I mean, of course it was totally sweet of Natsume, but what led to this situation wasn't even related! Youichi was laughing too. And when he was finished, he climbed into my lap and pulled the photo album from Natsume's lap without the said guy knowing and started flipping through the pages.

I looked through the photo album too as Natsume and his mother started arguing a bit over if Natsume should let her show us the photo album. And when they finally resolved the problem, Natsume being the winner, Youichi and I were looking at the last picture of an emotionless Natsume in his school picture before coming to Gakuen Alice.

When Natsume saw the photo album in Youichi's lap with the both of us looking at it, he visibly paled. He quickly grabbed it out of Youichi's grasp and put it back into the drawer, a look of annoyance on his face.

"I didn't say you could look at that" Natsume muttered darkly.

"I'm sorry! Youichi and I were just bored and we decided that we might as well look at it" I said, defending myself and Youichi. And Youichi nodded his head in agreement.

"Tch" Natsume shoved his hands in his pockets and sat next to me. He moved his face closer and whispered in my ear: "You're gonna get it later."

What was that supposed to mean? It's not like he's gonna abuse me or anything! He's too sweet! Hmmm….it could have a double meaning…..

I brushed the thought aside and just gave him a questioning look, wondering what the hell was up with him. It's nothing that big when your Mom shows….your girlfriend your….photo album….. Okay, there is something wrong about it but it's done and over with now! He shouldn't be mad or anything!

Natsume just smirked at me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. All of a sudden, Youichi, Natsume and I saw a flash. We all looked to the suspect and found…..Auntie Kaoru?

"Awwwww! I got to get this one developed!" And she ran off to the nearest shop available with development of pictures.

Natsume sighed irritably and closed his eyes, leaning on my shoulder. So, I did the only thing I could think of: pat his head in a comforting notion. Youichi did the same which I thought was soooooooo cute!

"Can we play outside in the back yard Mikan-nee?" Youichi asked me, pointing to what must be the back door.

"I don't know," I looked over to Natsume, "Can we?"

Natsume raised his head and looked me in the eye. Our faces were only an inch apart. I blushed as he nodded his head, his gaze never leaving mine.

Youichi hopped out of my lap as I reluctantly tore my gaze from Natsume's beautiful eyes, heading towards the back door. Natsume followed close behind as all three of us went out into his back yard.

After about a little more than an hour, Youichi's parents came to pick Youichi up. After they left, Natsume and I headed to the Sakura tree to watch the sunset together, just like we always did. We climbed up in the tree and sat together on the same branch that I had shown him the beautiful scenery.

As the sun came down, Natsume curled his fingers with mine and pulled me towards him, kissing me lightly on the lips. I went light headed, my heart beating faster at his movements. When he pulled away, I was flushed, out of breath, and light headed. Natsume smirked but I could tell he was feeling the same way I did.

Without any words, Natsume grabbed me around the waist and started making his way down the tree, me slung over his shoulder like a potato sack. I was soooooooo afraid that the both of us would fall, but he never ceases to amaze me due to him reaching the ground safely, me in his clutches.

He carried me just like that to my house, getting weird glances from passerbies as I struggled to make him put me down. But, Natsume just kept his face blank and I learned to give up the fight. When Natsume FINALLY put me down, we were at my front porch. He gave me a small smile and another kiss. I smiled brightly at him and I opened the door, going into the house but not without another smile.

When I closed the door, I sighed in a love sick way. And the bad thing about that? Well, my parents were in the living room, watching every move I was making. I didn't notice this, though, until it was about a minute of daydreaming and my mother had to snap me out of my reverie.

So, we ate dinner and then I got ready for bed and went to sleep. I just can't wait for tomorrow! I'll get to see Natsume again!

The next morning, I woke up and did my morning routine, but put on my uniform instead. And, of course, I kept my hair down. Natsume had told me he liked it down. When I finished breakfast, we heard a knock on the door and I went to answer it, thinking that it was Natsume. And what I saw was correct: Natsume standing clad in his uniform, making it look hot. His bag was slung over his shoulder casually and his eyes met mine.

"You ready?" Natsume asked me.

"Yeah" I said. I told my parents I was leaving and grabbed my bag, heading out the door and started for school, Natsume right beside me.

When we got to class, the both of us sat next to each other in our assigned seats, a comfortable silence between us. Natsume's arm was around my waist as I read a book, Natsume reading it over my shoulder.

We did this until the bell rang, signaling that classes were to start. And Narumi sensei twirled in like always, telling us the morning announcements after taking roll. For the rest of the day, the group and I followed our regular schedule. Everything seemed the same: Me, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, and Misaki senpai talking about random stuff like the latest fashions; Koko, Kitsu, Hiro, Ruka, and Tsubasa senpai saying random jokes and such; Natsume staying stoic and quiet, letting out an occasional smile and laugh; Youichi being the cutest thing in the world; Hotaru taking pictures and staying stoic. The only differences were that Natsume had forced me to sit in his lap, his arms around my waist and his chin on my shoulder as I fed him and myself as we ate lunch and the fact that Tono senpai is here, being over protective like always.

"Hey, did you bring the cake?" I asked Anna. She nodded and showed it to all of us.

On the top, it read 'Happy (Belated) Birthday Natsume!'. It was really cool. So, we celebrated Natsume's birthday underneath the shade of the Sakura tree here at school. Koko even brought balloons and each of us brought a gift. I just got Natsume a manga. I can't even remember the title but he'd been saying he wanted another manga to read.

When Natsume saw my present, he gave me a cheeky grin and gave me a soft peck on the lips.

I sighed happily. This is going to be a great year.

**~Chapter 15 End~**

Well, it's done! First off, I'd like to say thanks to all those who have reviewed and/or added me to their favorites/alerts! And those people are…

Iminwonderland

RachaelRose

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Hitsugaya1995

ashinat crimson flames

daa3fan

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

muzichic4eva

Jonzz

Thank you very much! Second, I would like to say that I don't know when I'll be able to update next for my life is certainly crazy right now! I guess I was right this new year! Well, I hope you all do great as I you wait for the next update! Please do be patient and NOT hate me! ;D I'll update as soon as possible for me, okay? Well, gotta go!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	16. Chapter 16

Hey! So, I'm back once more! And I have an awesome chapter for you peoples! ...Well, I hope that all of you think so! Well, let's get your opinion shall we? :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story plot and the characters that I oh-so randomly make up! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Yup, again with this line)

When we got to class, the both of us sat next to each other in our assigned seats, a comfortable silence between us. Natsume's arm was around my waist as I read a book, Natsume reading it over my shoulder.

We did this until the bell rang, signaling that classes were to start. And Narumi sensei twirled in like always, telling us the morning announcements after taking roll. For the rest of the day, the group and I followed our regular schedule. Everything seemed the same: Me, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, and Misaki senpai talking about random stuff like the latest fashions; Koko, Kitsu, Hiro, Ruka, and Tsubasa senpai saying random jokes and such; Natsume staying stoic and quiet, letting out an occasional smile and laugh; Youichi being the cutest thing in the world; Hotaru taking pictures and staying stoic. The only differences were that Natsume had forced me to sit in his lap, his arms around my waist and his chin on my shoulder as I fed him and myself as we ate lunch and the fact that Tono senpai is here, being over protective like always.

I sighed happily. This is going to be a great year.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 16~**

~Mikan's POV~

_**Time Skip**_

Natsume and I are in a great relationship. We were voted Gakuen Alice's 'perfect couple' just a couple weeks ago. Although our great relationship, things at home aren't really great for me. But, right now, I don't want to think about it, let along talke about it, so moving on!

It's probably been about a little less than a month since the Gakuen Alice Fall Festival. And in a few day's time, the Christmas Ball will take place! It will be made by all the teachers to give us students a great Christmas party. And I'm pretty sure that it'll be great! I mean, Narumi sensei is the one who is the head of decoration and food. So, it's going to be a blast due to the knowledge of past Christmas Balls.

Every Ball/party Narumi sensei put on was, officially, the best parties in the history of parties! Everyone always had a blast and no one was left out or feeling bored. But, when I explained this to Natsume, he just said "I think you're over exaggerating. That guy's just gay and weird."

I couldn't help but laugh at his words. It was true that most people thought of Narumi sensei as 'gay' or 'weird', but I'm NOT over exaggerating.

Currently, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, Koko, Kitsu, Yuu, Hotaru, Ruka-pyon, Tsubasa senpai, Misaki senpai, Tono senpai, Youichi, Natsume, and I were having lunch in the cafeteria instead of underneath the Sakura tree. It was snowing and cold as hell out there! So, we don't want to catch a cold.

"I bet it's gonna suck" Natsume said, reffering to the Christmas Ball.

"Uhuh, that's what you say. But just watch, it'll be totally awesome just like the Fall Festival and you will be proved wrong...AGAIN!" I told Natsume.

"Hn...I don't think so" Natsume wrapped an arm around my waist, smirking some more.

"I bet it'll be awesome!" I pushed Natsume's arm away from me, my expression showing every ounce of pride I had in me.

"So it's a bet" Natsume said.

"Heck yeah!" I pumped my fist into the air.

"So, what will be the prize for the winner?"

"Hmmm..."

"Hey, what about being a slave for a week?" Koko piped in, elbowing me in the stomach.

I glared at him. What the hell was he thinking? Now THAT was too harsh! Koko started laughing at me like always.

"Perfect. It's a bet" Natsume said, his smirk even wider than it was at first.

I sighed, knowing that it would be useless to try to change this dude's mind. I nodded and shook Natsume's awaiting hand. But, I was instantly surprised when Natsume tugged on my hand and his lips smashed onto mine. I was wide eyed in shock as Natsume kissed me softly. But as I accidentally kissed him back, he deepened the kiss.

"Ooooooooh, Natsume you beast!" Koko laughed.

I felt myself grow red as I came back to my senses. Everyone was staring at me and Natsume. And by everyone, I mean EVERYONE. But, Natsume seemed to not notice and continue kissing me senseless. I'm serious; I'm loosing my senses! I can't think!

Somehow, I was able to make myself work again and push Natsume away. I was beet red and breathless. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would explode! But all Natsume was was a tinted pink and smirking. Jerk.

"You know, no one likes PDA" Hotaru said, putting away her camera.

Koko was visibly trying hard not to laugh; obviously failing. Ruka, Anna, Yuu, Nonoko, and Permy were all red...really, really red. Hiro, Tsubasa senpai, Misaki senpai, Kitsu, Hiro and Tono senpai were whistling, looking all over the place. My best guess? They were trying not to show us that they weren't watching. Everyone else in the cafeteria was just staring.

"D-don't d-do th-that!" I got off of my seat and ran out of the cafeteria.

I ran to my fifth period class. Sitting on my assigned seat, which is at the very back left corner of the room, I grumbled about Natsume and his weird ways. Why'd he do that! Hey, it's not like I didn't like the kiss! I loved it! It felt like-wait, we're getting off topic Mikan! Okay...uh, well I just don't like PDA. Honestly, only people who have no sense do stuff only couples do in public.

I sat there for a few minutes, spacing out like the weirdo I am. The only reason why I overreacted in the cafeteria is because I needed to get out. I want to think things through. That weird dream last night…it gave me an awful feeling! It was….absolutely horrible! And it wasn't just last night; it was a reoccurring dream too! I have a really bade feeling something's going to happen- Wait, this is school Mikan! Think about something else! Hmmmmm…..

I wonder how the Christmas Ball will be like. I hope Narumi sensei does a great job with it! If he doesn't, then I'm dead! I wouldn't be able to live down Natsume and my bet! And I certainly do NOT want to be a servant for that pervert!

Yes, I called Natsume a pervert. Why you ask? Well, just last week, the wind made my skirt fly up and Natsume saw my underwear! Now, he sometimes calls me by the print: polka-dots. It completely annoys me on how he says it happened! I told him he was a perv for peeking, but he was all like "I didn't peek; you showed them to me." Ugh, he's such a perv!

So, being his servant would be the worst case scenario. Who knows what he will do to me! Great, now I'm seriously thinking about backing out on this bet! But, knowing him, he probably wouldn't let me.

~Natsume's POV~

I watched as Mikan ran out of the cafeteria. I slapped myself on the forehead for my actions. Of all people, I should know that Mikan doesn't like PDA. I'm her boyfriend for crying out loud! But, of course, I just couldn't help myself.

The way she looked when she was 'trying' to look mad and pouting made me completely snap! I couldn't help it! Damn these stupid hormones! Wow, I'm blaming my hormones a lot these days aren't I?

I got out of my seat and attempted to run after Mikan. I said attempted because I have absolutely no idea where she went in this weather. Knowing Mikan, she probably doesn't want to be cold while she thinks things through. So, the places are either fifth period class, music room, or home. Well, first, I'll choose the fifth period class room.

I ran into the High school building and towards our next class. The hallways are empty due to it still being lunch time. So, it took no time at all for me to get to class. I slammed open the door to see a spacing out Mikan in the back corner of the class room. See, on the first guess, I was correct where Mikan was! I'm such a great boyfriend. Even though I made such a huge noise, I guess she didn't hear me because she just sat there, staring into space.

Slowly, I made my way to the day dreaming girl. It was actually pretty surprising to see her day dreaming like that. Actually, it was pretty surprising that Mikan overreacted like that at the cafeteria. Whenever I kissed her in front of our friends, she would just yell at me and blush like crazy. But, this...it was a completely different reaction.

"Mikan?" I called out when I reached the side of the girl.

She seemed to snap out of her trance and look towards me.

"Yeah?" Mikan asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting in the desk next to her.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine" Mikan sighed, looking at her desk.

"Yeah, you're a bad liar."

Mikan looked up at me and gave me a weak smile. "It's okay, really. I'm just...I just have a bad feeling, that's all."

"So, you feel like you're gonna puke?"

"No, you idiot! I just have a bad feeling" Mikan gave me a big grin for my comment.

"Hn. Well, if anything happens, you could always come to me." I said, wrapping my arms around Mikan's waist.

"Yeah, I'll come!" Mikan hugged me back, smiling.

I played with Mikan's hair for the rest of the time as Mikan just hugged me. Slowly, the class room filled and our peers came bustling in groups at a time. Soon enough, our group came in too.

"So THIS is where the both of you ran off to!" Hiro said, grinning like an idiot with the others. Well, the 'others' excludes Imai.

I nodded to answer their question as Mikan sat up in her seat, letting go of my waist. Imai and Mikan were having some sort of telepathic conversation. They've been doing that a lot. I think it has to do with the way Mikan was acting. I was about to ask what the heck they were 'talking' about when the teacher came in, starting today's lesson.

_**After School**_

Mikan and I were going to the music room. Mikan said she had to do some 'music stuff' before we left. I didn't question he antics though. It was probably just for some sort of random music projects that she loves to do so much.

"I'm done! Let's go!" Mikan popped out of the music room.

I nodded to her as I took her hand in mine, leading her to the front gates. We took our time going back home. We just strolled along the snow covered side walks, swinging our entwined hands back and forth.

"What were you and Imai telepathically talking about?" I asked suddenly. I don't know why I did though. I guess I was just plain-old curious.

"What do you mean?" Mikan asked me, giving me a funny look.

"You know, before fifth period" I looked down at Mikan.

"...Nothing really..."

"I know something's going on" I told her seriously, stopping her and myself from walking.

The both of us stood on the sidewalk, neither moving nor talking. We just stared into each other's eyes. Then, Mikan looked away.

"I-if I ever feel as if it is actually something totally huge…I'll tell you" Mikan whispered.

I gripped onto both of Mikan's hands as I moved in front of her to get a better look at her. She wouldn't meet my eyes. I know something's bothering her.

"Tell me now" I commanded her gently…if it's possible.

"I-I don't want to talk about it." Mikan still wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Is it that bad?" I actually feel kind of bad that Mikan wouldn't trust me with something like this. Why won't she tell me?

"…No, it's not that bad. That's why I don't think I should tell you."

"It's still bad" I shrugged.

Mikan looked up at me and smiled. I tried to look for anything that would give me a clue on what she was worried about. And I saw some pretty big clues: fright and nervousness. What could Mikan be thinking about?

I sighed and let it go. If Mikan didn't want to talk about it, I won't push her. She's everything to me and if I ever make her break, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I pulled Mikan into a tight embrace, burying my head into the crook of her neck. I smiled when Mikan wrapped her arms around my waist.

"You can tell me anything" I whispered into her ear.

I felt Mikan nod and I pulled away, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist as we walked.

"So, you still up for the bet?" I asked Mikan.

She gave me a huge grin as she answered "Of course!"

"I'll win" I said confidently.

"Sure, whatever you say" Mikan's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You just wait and see" I kissed Mikan on the nose as I walked her to her door.

"Haha! I should be saying that!" Mikan giggled and kissed me on the cheek. "See you later."

"Sakura tree at sunset?" I questioned her.

"Exactly" Mikan grinned.

When Mikan closed her door and I turned around to walk back to my house. I opened the front door and entered the house, greeting my family. I then walked up to my room and worked on my homework. When I was done, I went out of the house and walked to the Sakura tree.

I wonder what the Christmas Ball would be like. Maybe it will be just as cool as Mikan says it will. But then that would make me loose the bet. I don't really care if I become Mikan's slave. The only down side about loosing our bet is that my ego will be squished. And my confidence would lower as well as my pride.

I found myself in front of the Sakura tree. So, I sat down and closed my eyes, leaning against the trunk of the Sakura tree. I wonder how it would be like to be Mikan's slave. Well, I'm pretty sure that she isn't the kind to give hard work to people for she's too kind. So, what would she do with me? Ha! I don't even think she'll need me as a slave! But, she might try to make my life a living hell for me peeking at her panties last week...huh, I wonder how she'll do with that.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I looked up to see the love of my life: Mikan Sakura.

"Hey" I sighed, giving her a smile.

Mikan gave me a bright smile and sat down next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. We watched the oranges, pinks, yellows, and blues in the sunset, enjoying each other's presence.

"So" I started, looking at Mikan, smirking "What are you going to do with a slave?"

"Huh?" Mikan got her head off of my shoulder and gave me a questioning look.

"If you win. What will you do if I were your slave?" I answered her, grinning.

"Huh...good question! Let's see...I would..." Mikan put a finger to her chin and made the cutest thinking face I've ever seen. "Well, what would you HATE to do?"

Heh, she couldn't think of . Well, she's asking me what I hated to do, so I'll give her something I don't like...NOT!

"Hmm, why?" I feigned innocence. I wonder if she'll fall for my trick.

"Oh, uh, just wondering! Hehe..."

"Well, I don't like it when you kiss me" I said, looking down at her with 'innocent' eyes.

"Then I'll do-HEY! Y-you don't like it?" Mikan gave me a hurt expression. Tears gathered in her eyes.

I didn't think she'd believe it!

"N-no! I love it!" I panicked, grabbing Mikan by the shoulders.

"Really?" Mikan gave me the cutest look ever, hope clouding her features.

"Yeah" I smiled down at her.

I leaned down to give her a kiss but she turned away and pushed me back. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion as Mikan looked back at me with a smirk.

"Then I won't let you kiss me" Mikan stated, crossing her arms.

"Why?" I asked.

"That's what I'll do when you become my slave! I won't let you lay a finger on me!"

"A little harsh, is it not?" I asked her, going to hug her.

Mikan hugged me back.

"I thought that you said you wouldn't let me lay a finger on you" I told Mikan.

"Well, that's not until you're my slave" Mikan said matter-of-factly.

"Mmmmm..."

"What will you do if I become your slave?" Mikan asked me, giving me a questioning look.

"Well" I gave Mikan a naughty look, "I'll do anything I want with you. And that means _anything._"

The color in Mikan's face drained as she realized what I truly meant by my words.

"E-ewwww! Y-you pervert!" Mikan pushed me away and got up, starting to run.

I chuckled as I got up and easily caught her in an embrace in my arms.

"Don't run away" I whispered huskily into Mikan's ear.

I watched amusedly as Mikan flushed red and tried to get out of my grasp. But, as time passed, she melted into my embrace. And soon enough, she hugged me back.

We stood that way for a while, just hugging each other. I don't know when, but it soon turned dark. So, I walked Mikan to her house; just like I did every night. When we got to her porch, I gave her a kiss on the lips and watched her as she entered her house, giving me one last smile. One thing's for sure: making fun of Mikan is fun. I made my way to my house once more, greeting my family coolly.

As I got into bed that night after dinner and getting ready for bed, I could only think about one thing: I can't wait until I win the bet.

**~Chapter 16 End~**

Wow, both Natsume and Mikan think they will win the bet! Haha! I wonder who will win...

Well, everyone, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING LINES! THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT! I'm really sorry for updating once a week but I think that I might not be able to update next Friday! I had the hardest time trying for today and it was, in one word, hell! I'm so sorry! But, I swear, that when I finish the next chapter (hopefully before or by Friday), I will post it so all of you can read it! Honestly, it would be a miracle if I could update by Friday…

Well, thanks all of you for reading this chapter! Oh, and thanks for reviewing and/or adding me to your favorites and/or story alerts! I'm sorry for not listing your names or replying to your reviews! Life's crazier than before and I'm uber busy!

So, once again, thanks! Well, I've gotta go now! Happy reading everyone!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	17. Chapter 17

Hey! So, I'm back with the next chapter! I hope all of you enjoy! OH, and there is an IMPORTANT MESSAGE at the bottom of the story! So, PLEASE READ IT! Well, anywho, let's get on with the story!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters. They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own my story plots and the random characters that I oh-so randomly make up! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(You know you like this intro!)

I chuckled as I got up and easily caught her in an embrace in my arms.

"Don't run away" I whispered huskily into Mikan's ear.

I watched amusedly as Mikan flushed red and tried to get out of my grasp. But, as time passed, she melted into my embrace. And soon enough, she hugged me back.

We stood that way for a while, just hugging each other. I don't know when, but it soon turned dark. So, I walked Mikan to her house; just like I did every night. When we got to her porch, I gave her a kiss on the lips and watched her as she entered her house, giving me one last smile. One thing's for sure: making fun of Mikan is fun. I made my way to my house once more, greeting my family coolly.

As I got into bed that night after dinner and getting ready for bed, I could only think about one thing: I can't wait until I win the bet.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 17~**

~Mikan's POV~

_**Day of the Christmas Ball**_

The tensions at home haven't been getting any better. Actually, they've been getting a lot worse! I swear I hear my parents arguing sometimes at night, but, that might just be me. Because, every time I check on them, they're either already asleep, or cuddling. I swear I'm going crazy! And that weird feeling that something bad is going to happen keeps on bugging me! Okay, well, let's not think about this.

Since today was the day of the Christmas Ball, we had no school so that all the students of Gakuen Alice could get ready for the big event. This whole week, Natsume's been all, I know I'm gonna win and stuff. Sometimes, it gets pretty annoying, but, its not…

Does that make any sense? Well, whatever. It doesn't matter right now! All that matters is to get on the special 'Christmas Ball Dress' that the Academy made for us girls. Each one is exactly the same; just different sizes. The dresses were completely red. On the waist was a black belt with a golden buckle. Rimming the bottom and the top of the dress was white, cotton fluff. The dress was strapless too. We had red boots that had its top lined with white cotton fluff too. There were small Santa hats for the girls to wear on top of their heads and each girl got a butterfly mask that covered the top of your head and ended at just above your cheeks.

Now, imagine every single girl in the school wearing this exact outfit. You would have a hard time trying to figure out who was who. It wouldn't be a masquerade ball you could tell who was who! Yes, the Christmas Ball is a masquerade ball; it always has been and it always will be.

Anyways, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Permy, Misaki senpai and I are getting ready for the ball at my house. We were all giving each other makeovers and such, having a great pre-ball party! The ball wasn't due to start until a few hours. Actually, I'm kind of nervous right now! How will I be able to find out which guy is Natsume? I mean, each guy was given a black and white tuxedo with black dress shoes and a butterfly mask that all were exactly the same! How would I find him? Sigh, all I know is that behind his mask, there would be beautiful crimson red eyes. I hope I can see his eyes good enough to tell if it's him or not.

"Mikan stay still!" Anna scolded as she put on my make up.

"You don't have to do my make up for me! I can do it myself" I told her.

"Well, that would be no fun!" Anna retorted.

"Okay" I sighed.

I just closed my eyes as I let Anna put on my make up. I listened to the others struggling with each other touching their faces with brushes and such. I guess everyone hated putting on make up as much as I do!

After a couple more hours of struggling and make overs, we were finally finished! Anna and Nonoko's hairs were put up into messy buns. Hotaru's hair was straitened, making it look longer. Misaki senpai's hair was straightened and pulled into a half pony-tail with a white ribbon in her hair. Permy's hair was in elegant curls. And finally, my hair was pulled into a pony-tail with both big and small ringlets tumbling onto my shoulders.

We all slipped on our masks over our natural looking make up and went downstairs. Mom stopped us all and took multiple pictures of us posing in random positions. But I swear my favorite one is of me pushing Permy who looks as if she'll fall at any second while Hotaru aims her Baka-gun at me Nonoko is kneeling on the ground, fixing her boots and Anna is being scolded by Misaki because she touched her make up.

After our awesomeful pictures, we went outside and started our walk to Gakuen Alice. Many kids were leaving their houses at the same time as us so it looked as if a whole lot of uniformed kids were heading to a fancy dinner to a whole bunch of bystanders. I have no idea if Natsume and the guys (Yuu, Koko, Kitsu, Hiro, Tsubasa senpai, Tono senpai, Ruka-pyon, and Youichi) left before us or we are just faster than them. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see!

The girls and I skipped along the sidewalk, giggling and acting all giddy for the ball. We followed the groups of friends to the huge multi-purpose room (cafeteria) used for the ball. And when we walked in, the sight was amazing!

The walls were now painted a beautiful gold instead of white; a huge Christmas tree was beautifully and elaborately decorated in the center of the room. Table clothed tables were lining the dance floor where couples were already dancing. Candles were place precariously throughout the room and there was a huge buffet table at the far side of the room. I noticed there was a whole bunch of mistletoe hung everywhere and there were many people who were staying AWAY from it. But, obviously, the more desperate ones, like Koizumi, were just standing underneath them waiting for someone to kiss them. I fell really bad for those people….except for Koizumi. I don't care about her.

The girls and I went to one of the tables and sat down, waiting for the guys to show up. We have no idea how, but we're sure that we can spot them if we look hard enough! So, we kept our optimism and looked for the guys.

~Natsume's POV~

The guys and I have been waiting for the girls for a while. We are all just standing at the corner of the room, looking around the room in awe. Mikan was right; this place WAS awesome! The decorations were perfect! It all made me feel as if I were at home in this huge place filled with both friends and strangers.

Aw, man. I lost the bet.

Oh well, it doesn't matter. This is still going to be pretty fun! Well, anyways, the guys and I were looking for Mikan. Youichi just hid behind me, using me to shoo away the girls who asked him to dance. Haha, this is pretty amusing.

I kept on looking around until I spotted a certain someone: Mikan. She was sitting at a table with all the other girls, occasionally talking to each other. I bet they're looking for us. Well, I found them first.

"Hey guys" I got their attention. "They're over there."

I lead the way and the others immediately knew where I was headed. Mikan looked my way and gave me a huge grin under her mask. Mikan caught the others' attentions and pointed our way. And thus, they all smiled too, waving to us.

The moment the guys and I got to the table, I pulled Mikan into a big embrace. Mikan hugged me back, smiling as always.

"I'm guessing you're the one who found us" Mikan told me as we pulled away from our embrace.

"Yup" I smirked.

"I have a question" Mikan said. I nodded for her to go on. "Why do the guys always follow you?"

I thought about that. I've never noticed that before but now that you look at it, I'm always leading them to wherever we go.

"Why do all the girls follow you?" I asked Mikan.

Mikan looked as if she were thinking very hard for a minute. And then, she raised an eyebrow at me.

"I don't know" she answered.

"Well, that's the same reason."

"O-okay" Mikan said, looking all confused. She's cute.

All around us, I've noticed many people taking their masks off, so, I did the same. I also took Mikan's mask off to reveal and deep-in-thought brunette, still making the cutest thinking face in the history of thinking faces. And the rest of the group followed our (my) example.

A few minutes passed and Mikan was still like that. Tch, she's becoming an idiot again. So, I shook her shoulders a bit to get her out of her trance.

"Hey, idiot, wake up. Don't just stand there spacing out" I said, trying hard not to laugh. Honestly, how long can a girl stay in one position?

"O-oh! Haha, sorry!" Mikan apologized, giving me a cheeky grin.

I rolled my eyes at Mikan, a small, SMALL smile adorning my lips. Mikan giggled and our friends and us followed a crowd of students to crowd around the stage in front of the giant Christmas tree.

"Hello everyone. I am your principal, Izumi Yukihara! Welcome to the annual Christmas Ball!" the principal announced.

The crowd of students, along with Mikan and the others, not Imai, started cheering and whooping. Principal Yukihara waited for the cheering to die down so that he could speak.

"The b-"

"WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Koko screamed, cutting the principal off.

Mikan laughed at Koko while the others joined in. Even the principal started laughing! I'm surprised that he wasn't thrown out of here.

"Thanks for that amazing spirit, Yome" the principal smiled. Koko grinned back. "Anyways, the beautiful decorations are thanks to your very own Narumi sensei!"

The crowd of students cheered as the said guy walked, more like twirled, onto stage, smiling and waving at everyone. He said "thank you" over and over again too. Idiot.

"Now, remember everyone, school rules do apply here and if you create a huge up rise in here, you will be immediately kicked out so you can't participate in the events. So, with that happy note, let's get this party started!" After the principal finished, loud, dance music started playing. He waved and ran off the stage, joining the other teachers.

We all walked to the tables, Ruka, Koko, Permy, Anna, Nonoko, Imai, Tono, Tsubasa, Misaki, Mikan, Hiroshima, Youichi, Kitsu, and I went to the table we were originally sitting at and all sat down. And, of course, Mikan sat next to me.

"So, how exactly does this Ball work?" I asked, looking at everyone.

"Well, you get to dance, eat at the buffet, hang out with friends and all that great stuff without the teachers saying anything!" Nonoko squealed.

"Let's eat first before all the good food goes" Imai said, standing up.

Everyone but me and Mikan stood up and started towards the buffet table. The line was short so it wouldn't take long for them to come back. I stood up and looked at Mikan.

"I'll get us a plate. Just stay here, kay?" I told her.

Mikan nodded and smiled at me. I smiled back and went towards the line where the rest of our group was standing. And when it was my turn to get the food, I put enough on my plate to feed both me and Mikan. I headed back to the table only to notice the stares Mikan attracted from other guys.

I felt my jealousy rage and I quickened my pace to get next to Mikan. But, I still managed to make myself look cool. When I got to Mikan, I set the plate down on the table and slipped an arm around her waist. I turned and glared at all the guys staring at Mikan, hugging her tighter.

"U-uh, what's up Natsume?" Mikan asked, her cheeks tinted pink.

"The opposite direction of the gravitational pull on Earth" I answered her, smirking.

Mikan rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. What's up with you?"'

"Have you noticed how beautiful you look?" I asked Mikan, whispering into her ear.

Mikan became even redder as she answered "N-no…I-I h-haven't."

"Hey, don't worry, Mikan! Natsume's just jealous of all the looks guys are giving you!" Koko laughed.

I gave Koko a glare as Mikan flushed even more. But, unfortunately, Koko laughed even harder, gaining stares from people dancing and/or eating.

"Shut up, idiot" I growled as Koko only laughed harder, making the others, except for Imai and Mikan, join in.

Once the 'comical laughter' died down, Anna and Nonoko stood up and each grabbed a boy. Well, Anna grabbed Yuu and Nonoko grabbed Kitsu, slipped on their masks, and dragged them to the dance floor where they started to dance. Obviously, they had finished their food…except for the two guys. I feel bad for them.

"Oooooh! That looks fun!" Permy exclaimed, taking Koko and hurrying off with him to the dance floor, slipping on her mask as well.

"H-hotaru…w-would y-you l-l-like t-to d-dance w-w-w-with me?" Ruka asked, standing up.

I heard a loud whistle from the crowd of dancing people along with cheers of encouragement. I'm pretty sure they came from the already dancing friends of ours.

Imai let out a small smile. "Sure."

With that, she stood up and went to Mikan's side, letting Mikan whisper something into her ear, and headed off with Ruka. They strode off into the crowd hand in hand, looking like a real couple as they put their masks on each other.

"Tsubasa, come and dance with me!" Misaki said, dragging the said dude to the dance floor. Unlike the others, they didn't even bother putting on their masks.

Now, the only people who were left were me, Mikan, Hiroshima and Youichi.

It was quiet for a while until Youichi walked off somewhere in the ball. He's probably looking for his friends. All of a sudden, Hiroshima started talking.

"Hey, Mikan, you wanna dance with me?" Hiroshima asked Mikan.

"She's dancing with ME" I said, standing up while holding Mikan's shoulder.

"Well, she can dance with anyone she wants!" Hiroshima said.

"It doesn't matter. I'm her boyfriend so she's dancing with me" I said firmly.

"So? She's mine!" Hiroshima said, pulling on Mikan's arm, who was now standing up.

"No, she's mine!" I retorted, tugging on Mikan's other arm.

By now, we were having a mini tug-o-war over Mikan, trying to get dominance over her.

"I'm not an object!" Mikan said, exasperated. "Do I at least get a say in this?"

"Of course!" Hiroshima smirked. "Tell us, who do you want to dance with?"

Mikan gave Hiroshima a sorry look. "I'm sorry Hiro."

Mikan came to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I'm going to have to choose Natsume for this one" she said, leaning into my chest.

I smirked at that stupid Hiroshima and led Mikan to the dance floor. I twirled her around, making her laugh happily. I couldn't help but smile and laugh with her, even though there were just mere chuckles; and small ones too. All of a sudden, Mikan put a cute pout on her face.

"What?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at her as we waltzed around the ball room.

"I just remembered we forgot our masks at the table! Aww man! We've ruined the masquerade ball completely! We shouldn't have even taken them off in the first place!" Mikan whined.

"Well, its too late for it now, isn't it?" I asked Mikan as I twirled her around.

"I guess" Mikan sighed.

"Quit being a party pooper and start smiling like an idiot again."

"I-I look like an idiot when I smile?"

"No! Of course not! You look so beautiful when you smile, its like time stops! I love it when you smile!" I panicked, meaning every word I said to Mikan. I can't believe I said that. I flushed.

She blushed a deep red and gave me a smile that she used specially for me.

"Th-thank you! And you look really handsome whenever you smile" Mikan stuttered, looking me in the eye.

I gave Mikan a huge smile as we spun around the room.

**~Chapter 17 End~**

Well, it's done! Now, I would just like to say that everything is getting more and more hectic! Now, I'd be lucky if I update by next week! I'm so sorry! Please bare with me! Well, thanks to all those who have reviewed! Those people aren't listed because I'm so busy! I just got internet up and I have to do...really important stuff! Sorry~ but I really do read them! I read all my reviews! I really love you all (not the homo way...) and I appreciate all of you reading my story(ies)! :D

Thanks once more! I really have to go now!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story's plot and my randomly made up characters! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Hello world! :D)

"Quit being a party pooper and start smiling like an idiot again."

"I-I look like an idiot when I smile?"

"No! Of course not! You look so beautiful when you smile, its like time stops! I love it when you smile!" I panicked, meaning every word I said to Mikan. I can't believe I said that. I flushed.

She blushed a deep red and gave me a smile that she used specially for me.

"Th-thank you! And you look really handsome whenever you smile" Mikan stuttered, looking me in the eye.

I gave Mikan a huge smile as we spun around the room.

**Two Doors Down **

**~Chapter 18~**

~Mikan's POV~

Natsume's smile is so beautiful. He looks so care free as we twirl around the room. I can't help but stare at him in awe as we dance. He's so beautiful. What did I ever do to deserve him? He's so perfect!

I stared into Natsume's eyes as he returned my stare. I love his eyes. They're so beautiful. I've never seen eyes like his before. A deep crimson red; no one except for him and his mother have it. He's one of a kind.

"Falling for me all over again little girl?" Natsume asked, well, more like stated, in a cocky voice.

"Don't get your hopes up lover boy" I said with a teasing smile.

"Oh, I'm not hoping," Natsume twirled me around, "it's true."

"Haha! Okay, you got me!" I laughed as he lowered me into a stoope. At least, I think that's what bending me gently backwards is...

As Natsume lifted me back up, I saw his widened eyes.

"What's wrong Natsume?" I asked, concern evident in my facial features.

"Uh...n-nothing! I-I just didn't think you would admit to that..."

"So, you want me to say that-"

"N-no! I-I just...sigh, it's hard to explain."

"No its not~, you just have to say you're falling for me all over again and you can't take your eyes off of me either! It's as easy as that!" I giggled.

Natsume pulled me close to him, our foreheads bumping together. He gave me a small smile that made my heart flutter.

"Well, you took the words right out of my mouth Mi-kan" he whispered to me. He separated my name into its syllables.

I blushed at Natsume's confession.

"I love you" he whispered to me, his eyes portraying so much love and passion that it took my breath away.

"I love you to" I smiled to him.

The music was a slow dance, perfect for the both of us to dance the way we were: shifting from foot to foot while turning in small circles and embracing each other as if we were hugging. We stayed like that until the dance was over and we decided that we should leave and spend some time at our Sakura tree.

Natsume and I went to our table and bid good bye to our friends, grabbed out masks, and headed out of the school, hand in hand. We strolled along the well known path that we took every day to our Sakura tree, relishing in each other's company.

When we reached the Sakura tree, Natsume cornered me on the tree's trunk.

"U-uh...w-what are y-you doing, N-Natsume?" I stuttered out. I could feel rabid butterflies fluttering a storm in my stomach.

Natsume said nothing as he placed a kiss on the side of my neck. I gasped. Natsume lifted his eyes up to meet mine, burning with so much love and a hint of...l-lust? Uh-oh, this can't be good...

"Mikan" Natsume muttered out, looking at me as if I were...h-his p-prey...

"Na-Natsu-" Natsume cut me off with a kiss. It felt as if I were in heaven.

He kissed me senseless, making me light headed and unaware of all of my surroundings. I couldn't help but to kiss him back with just as much fierceness he did. My arms found their way around his neck, my fingers playing with the nape of his hair after dropping my mask somewhere near. I had goose bumps from both the electricity Natsume shot through my body and the chilly winter air.

I found I couldn't breath and I lost all my breath. I pulled away from his kiss, taking in the much needed oxygen. But just as I got enough air, Natsume tackled me with another kiss. It wasn't until a minute later that he pulled away, panting for air just as I was.

"Do you know how much I wanted to kiss you tonight?" Natsume growled, sounding husky with the lack of air. My stomach churned.

"N-no" I whispered, blushing furiously.

"You've been seducing me all night" Natsume whispered in my ear.

"U-uh..." oh my gosh, what's he gonna do?

"I'm going to make you pay Mikan Sakura" he growled, nibbling on my lower lip.

I felt my face growing warmer by the second and the butterflies in my stomach went into a frenzy, making my tummy do multiple somersaults. I swear he's gonna drive me crazy!

"U-uh, Natsume, wh-what are you g-going to d-do?" my stutters were muffled by his lips.

"Everything" was all Natsume said, continuing to devour my lips like a starved and food deprived boy.

"W-what do you mean everything?" I whispered.

Natsume pulled away from me, his arms on each side of my head, trapping me. Natsume gave me a devious smirk.

"I mean _everything_" he said, putting A LOT of emphasis on the word 'everything'.

I gulped. "U-uh, Natsume, don't you think we're too young to do 'everything'?" I asked him, finally grasping the term 'everything'. If you don't get the concept, I suggest that you just be innocent and NOT find out. Come back and read this when you're older and you'll get it. Sigh, I used to be innocent...until this pervert came around.

I watched as Natsume sighed disappointedly. He looked down to the ground for a second before he looked up at me once more, a new determination in his eyes.

"Then we can get as close to 'everything' as we can" he muttered, catching my lips once more.

When he pulled away, I asked "Are you ruled by hormones or something?" I was completely breathless at this time and when Natsume heard my voice, he growled.

"If it has to do with you, it's a yes" he told me, looking directly into my eyes.

I couldn't help but giggle breathlessly. He was so cute! Yet...ruled by hormones. And a little perverted... but I love him none the less!

As Natsume continued to kiss my cheeks, neck, and every kissable part of my face, I played with Natsume's hair. I gasped as he kissed tender parts and when he dropped his own mask and made a tight grip on my waist.

"Hey, Natsume, what time is it?" I asked him, having a hard time breathing as he kissed the soft spot of my neck.

"Dunno" Natsume muttered softly, continuing to kiss my neck.

"C-can yo-you che-ck your w-wat-tch?" I stuttered. He was REALLY making me distracted with the way he was kissing me.

On of Natsume's arms slipped away from my waist as he put his head on my shoulder. Natsume looked at his watch reading the time. After a second, he sighed and pulled me into a hug, walking backwards as he plucked me off the ground, holding me bridal style.

"N-Natsume?"

"It's time to take you home" Natsume answered my unspoken question.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me down the street. Some of our peers were walking down the street too, going home after the ball. I rested my head on Natsume's shoulder, sighing in contentment. Closing my eyes, I felt Natsume's gaze on me.

"Natsume" I called out, drawing circles on his shoulders blindly.

"Hn?" he hummed.

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"I think I should be asking you that."

I opened my eyes and looked up to meet his. His eyes portrayed sincerity, love, happiness. It told me nothing but the truth; he was thinking the same thing I was: What did I do to deserve you?

Right now, Natsume and I were walking right in front of his house, making our way to mine. I gave Natsume a smile and pulled myself up to the height of his face while still being carried and planted a kiss on his lips. Natsume stopped walking and tightened his grip on me, returning my kiss happily.

I pulled away, breathing heavily. Natsume continued to walk as I rested my head on his shoulder. Hmmm, I wonder...

I slowly leaned in and kissed the crook of Natsume's neck, making him hiss.

"D-don't do that" he started, "I won't be able to stop myself from attacking you."

"Don't worry, you won't hurt me" I giggled.

Natsume made his way up the porch steps and set me down gently in front of the door. I wrapped my arms around Natsume's neck and gave him a light kiss. I felt Natsume trying to deepen the kiss, but I know it won't be a good idea. So, I pulled away, patted him on the head and opened up the door.

Looking back at him, I said "You know that's not a good idea. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too" Natsume smiled at me. I smiled back, brightly.

I closed the door softly and sighed, leaning against the door like how the main character of those weird dramas on T.V do after coming back from a totally 'awesome' date they had with a supposedly 'hot' guy.

When I came back to my senses, I saw my Mom in front of me, hands clasped and sparkles in her eyes. My Dad was also there, red in the face and fists clenching. Uh-oh...

"That was so cute!" Mom exploded, jumping all around the room. "I even got pictures!"

I noticed that, indeed, Mom had a camera in her hands, flipping through pictures that were from me and Natsume in the middle of the sidewalk, kissing.

"Why that little- Taking my little girl's innocence...Why I ought to" Dad grumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists. Dad was really scaring me.

"Y-you were watching all that?" I asked quietly.

"And it was adorable!" Mom squealed.

"It was stupid" Dad muttered.

"U-uh...I'll just be...g-going now..." I dashed off to my room, locking the door behind me.

"H-how'd they...? Sigh, never mind" I muttered to myself as I got ready for bed.

~Natsume's POV~

I walked home, reminiscing what happened with Mikan and I. The kisses were one of the best she'd ever given me tonight. Well, it's either that, or I am completely ruled by hormones right now and I think that every kiss she gave me was the best. But still, Mikan's kisses are great...

I opened up the front door only to find my parents and Misaki standing right behind it. I raised an eyebrow at them.

"Oh my gosh..." my family muttered together.

"I never thought I'd see that happening..." Mom muttered.

"I know" Misaki stated after, flabbergasted.

"That's my boy!" Dad exclaimed, looking really proud.

"What are all of you talking about?" I asked.

"We saw everything! My boy's growing up!" My dad said, patting my shoulder.

"W-wait, you saw me and Mikan...k-kissing?" I asked, backing away towards the stairwell.

"Yes...I never thought you'd be so involved with a girl Natsume" Misaki said, wide eyed.

"Y-yeah...well, I'm going now...bye!" I dashed up the stairs as my family chased me.

When I got to my room, I locked myself in. I flopped onto my bed and sighed. Mikan... I wish that this night would have never ended. Well, maybe I was too... aggressive... tonight. I really am ruled by hormones. From the first time I saw Mikan tonight, all I could think about was those pink, plump, perfect, luscious lips.

Okay, stop! Don't think about that! I got up and got ready for bed. When I was done I went to bed and tried to sleep. But, I couldn't. My family was STILL banging on my door. Stupid people...

I got up and opened up my window after slipping on a sweater and some shoes. And yes, my window can open, surprisingly. I climbed out of it and into the front yard. Then, I walked to Mikan's house. I climbed up to her balcony and knocked the balcony's door which lead to her bedroom. I saw Mikan's curtain open a bit and I saw her peek at me.

I suddenly became cautious of my appearance. All I was wearing was some black sweats and a white t-shirt. Mikan opened to door and let me in. I noticed that she was wearing some white shorts with purple hearts on them and a purple long sleeve.

"Natsume? What are you doing here? It's late you know" Mikan said as I walked in.

"Nothing. My parents and Misaki are just being weird so I had to get out of there."

"Oh, mine too" Mikan uttered.

I noticed small knocks on her door from both of her parents, begging to come in.

"You mind if I stay here?" I asked, sitting down next to Mikan on her bed.

"If you can behave yourself, you can stay" she said. I nodded.

Mikan climbed under the covers and I did after her. Hugging Mikan close to me, I shut my eyes and tried to sleep. I felt Mikan do the same. A few minutes after just lying there, Mikan fell asleep in my arms. She looked really cute. I smiled as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, careful not to wake her up. Slowly, I fell asleep too with Mikan by my side.

As I felt the sunlight on my skin, I knew that I was awake. I kept my eyes closed, relishing in the comfort I slept in last night. Last night was the best I had ever slept. Maybe it's because it has something to do with sleeping next to Mikan...

I felt Mikan stir in my arms, her own arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer. Mikan was obviously still asleep. And the sun wasn't as intense as it would be at the time I usually wake up for school: 7.

I felt myself grow sleepy once more. So, I gave in to my tiredness and let sleep overcome me once more.

"-e's waking up! Shhhhh!" I heard someone whisper. What the?

I opened my eyes and allowed them to adjust to the light. Everything was the same as it had been when I woke up earlier: Mikan sleeping lightly in my arms, and a soft, warm bed that we were laying in. But then, I noticed the spectators. There, watching Mikan and I, was Mikan's parents, my parents, Misaki, Tsubasa, Hiroshima, Imai, Anna, Nonoko, Kitsu, Koko, Yuu, Permy, Ruka, Tono, and Youichi.

"What the hell?" I muttered groggily, freeing one of my hands from Mikan's waist and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "What's going on?"

"What do you think you are doing? Sleeping with my daughter!" Izumi-san said angrily.

"It was their fault" I said, slurring my words. "I couldn't get to sleep with all their pounding on my door. And I didn't do anything bad to her."

"Lies!"

"Hey, chill man!" Aunty Yuka said, patting her husband on the back. "He didn't do anything bad to her. If he did, we would have heard everything."

Izumi-san sighed. "I guess you're right."

"What's going on?" I heard Mikan ask. I looked down to see Mikan rubbing her eyes cutely. I smiled at her.

"Nothing. Our friends are just being idiots." I said, glaring at our 'friends'.

"Hey, don't worry! We're leaving" Ruka said, leading everyone out. Pretty soon, it was just me, Mom, Dad, Mikan's parents, and Mikan.

"Well, we'll be downstairs if you need us" and our parents went downstairs.

"What was that?" Mikan asked when the last two of our little visitors left the room.

"I don't know." I answered. "Well, I gotta go I guess. I'll see you later?"

"Of course!" Mikan gave me a sweet kiss on the lips before I stood up and out of the bed.

"Bye" I said, starting for the door.

"Bye" Mikan gave me a smile.

I smiled back before the door frame hid her figure behind it.

**~Chapter 18 End~**

I am sooooooo sorry for the late update! I am just very busy! Anyways, I hope all of you liked it! I worked hard with so little time to get this to you! I hope you enjoyed! It's not as easy as you think spending multiple days creating and editing each chapter of this story to make it go to your liking. Please give me some praise by posting a review! :D

And I want to thank all of those who have been reviewing for me and/or adding me to their faves and/or alerts! It makes me feel special! I love you all!

Well, I gotta go!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	19. Chapter 19

Hey! Guess who? :D Well, I'm back with another chappie! Well, let's get this started! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They all belong to the genius of an author: Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the story plot that I've created and the oh so random characters I just love to make up! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

"Well, we'll be downstairs if you need us" and our parents went downstairs.

"What was that?" Mikan asked when the last two of our little visitors left the room.

"I don't know." I answered. "Well, I gotta go I guess. I'll see you later?"

"Of course!" Mikan gave me a sweet kiss on the lips before I stood up and out of the bed.

"Bye" I said, starting for the door.

"Bye" Mikan gave me a smile.

I smiled back before the door frame hid her figure behind it.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 19~**

~Mikan's POV~

After Natsume left to go home, I quickly hopped out of bed and did my daily hygiene cycle. I went downstairs after in a pair of navy blue skinny jeans and a yellow v-neck that was skin tight. When I got down, I noticed that all my girls were there, conversing with my parents and huddled around a camera my mother was holding.

I quickly and silently made my way towards them and peered over Mom's shoulder and saw what everyone was going crazy about: Pictures of me and Natsume asleep in my bed, cuddling. I blushed and tried to reach for the camera, but Hotaru saw and stopped me.

"No you don't!" Hotaru said, raising the camera above her head.

I tried desperately to get a hold of it but I just couldn't reach it! I mean, she was standing up on the couch and the couch was currently occupied by my mother and friends! I couldn't just walk all over them!

"Hotaru! Don't be so mean!" I cried, swiping for the camera.

"Nope!" Hotaru replied firmly.

I felt tears run down my cheeks as my friends and mother started to tease me.

"Stop teasing me!" I cried.

"Oh, come on Mikan! You know we're just playing!" Permy said, laughing.

The front door opened and in popped all the guys from our group, including Natsume. I ran over to Natsume and hugged him around his waist, burying my face into his chest.

"Affumeh! Tveihr bing meeeeean!" I cried into Natsume's chest.

"What?" Natsume asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Tveihr bing meeeeeeeeeaaaaaahn!"

"Huh?" By now, everyone was laughing.

I took my head out of his chest and looked up at him with teary eyes. "They're being mean!"

Natsume chuckled. "I know. They were being mean to me this morning."

Natsume picked me up bridal style and walked to the love seat and sat down, setting me on his lap.

"You guys, don't be so mean to her" Natsume said, hugging me tightly.

I smiled brightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Awww, happy couple! Happy couple!" Koko yelled, pointing to Natsume and I. I couldn't help but giggle at Koko's actions.

"What's going on here?" Dad asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"Nothing" Natsume answered. Everyone got quiet to watch the show.

"Oh really?" Dad asked once more, his patience thinning.

"Yes sir" Natsume answered respectfully.

"Whatever" Dad grumbled. "Breakfast is ready."

Dad turned around and walked back into the dining room, but not before sending Natsume a glare. Daddy must be cranky! Haha!

"Natsume, have you and the guys eaten yet?" I asked as we all headed into the dining room.

"No" Natsume replied.

"Well, you can eat here along with everyone else! It's alright, right Mom? Dad?"

"Sure!" they answered, Dad a little less enthusiasm.

Seeing that we were one seat short, Natsume and I had to share one. Dad wasn't too thrilled about this. I sat on Natsume's lap and I fed him and myself at the same time.

"You two are so cute!" Mom gushed as she and Hotaru snapped never ending pictures.

"Why are you taking pictures?" I asked. "It's nothing really big."

"Yes it is! I never thought the time would come when my little girl would hand feed her boyfriend!" Mom squealed.

"Oh, our little Mikan's growing up" Koko imitated my Mom's look.

All of us busted out laughing at Koko.

"I've heard that our little Mikan's gotten a little naughty" Koko snickered, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Nu-uh! Shut up Koko!" I smacked the said guy on the arm lightly, for he was sitting right next to Natsume and I.

"Haha! I beg to differ!" Koko laughed as he dodged my hits.

"I forbid you to do anything of the naughty type with each other!" Dad stated firmly, glaring at Natsume.

"But Daaaad!...wait, what does that even mean? But Daaaaad!" I whined.

"No 'but's missy. You're going to listen to your father whether you like it or not!" Dad said.

"Now Izumi" Mom started, "Mikan's got to grow up sometime. Let her be happy with her boyfriend!"

Natsume and I blushed at Mom's statement. I guess Mom really does accept Natsume as my boyfriend.

"B-But...Yuka! Don't let him take our little, innocent Mikan away!" Dad whined like a little kid.

Everyone around the table laughed lightly except for Hotaru and Natsume. All they did was smirk.

"Izumi, stop being a kid. Mikan deserves to have such a nice boyfriend" Mom replied, smiling at Natsume and I.

"But-"

"No 'but's Izumi" Mom said firmly. Wow. Mom only talks like that when she believes that something should be left alone of should be done...and it would be really important.

"...-sigh- fine." Dad sighed in defeat after a minute of silence.

"Yay!" I cheered, jumping off of my seat and giving my Dad a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you Dad!"

I gave my dad a small peck on the cheek and sat on his lap, still hugging him. Dad hugged back and waterfalls were streaming out of his eyes...literally.

"My little Mikan's growing up" Dad cried.

"Don't worry Dad! I'll always be your little girl" I hugged him tighter.

"Wow, this is better than a T.V drama" Koko whispered to Permy, Anna, and Nonoko. They giggled.

"Well, what do you kids want to do today considering that it's the first day of winter holiday" Mom asked all of us.

As everyone thought, I went back to sit on Natsume's lap once more. Don't get me wrong; I love my father. It's just that I want to sit with Natsume. All of a sudden, Anna and Nonoko shot up with an idea.

"We know! We know!" They chorused.

"What is it?" Ruka-pyon asked politely.

"Well, why don't we go to the" Nonoko started.

"- Carnival that came in yesterday?" Anna finished the sentence for her sister.

"Wow, that's a great idea!" Permy, Misaki-senpai, Tsubasa-senpai, Hiro, Ruka, Youichi, Tono-senpai, and I chorused.

"I must say that's a pretty swell idea" Hotaru said.

"Hn" Natsume muttered, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"So its settled then!" Mom stated, overjoyed. "You all will go to the carnival in town!"

"Yay!" All of us but Natsume and Hotaru cheered.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on and have fun!" Mom ushered all of us out of the door.

Once we were all out, Mom turned me to face her and said "Stay here" and ran upstairs. I looked around at everyone, asking for an answer to my Mother's actions. Everyone just shrugged.

I sighed and turned back around to see my Mom tripping at the bottom of the stiars.

"Ah- Mom! Are you okay?" I asked.

"I've always wondered where Polka-dots got her coordination from" I heard Natsume utter. Snickers were heard after his statement.

"Shut up Natsume" I pouted.

But, Natsume just smirked at me and strolled over to my side, slinging his arms around my waist. "Hn" he uttered in my ear.

"I'm fine!" Mom popped up, raising her arms in the air and catching everyone's attention.

Mom ran over and grabbed my hands and put my cell phone in it. "Make sure to call your father and I every hour or two. And if any of you need help, call us; understood?"

"Yes Mom" I smiled.

"Good girl!" Mom praised me. "And Natsume?"

"Yes ma'am" Natsume asked.

"Watch over my little Mikan, alright?"

"Mom!" I whined, getting embarrassed as I blushed.

"I will ma'am" Natsume said, smirking.

"Thank you! Well, have fun everyone!" Mom said. And she closed the door.

"Let's go!" Anna and Nonoko pumped their fists in the air.

"Yeah!" the rest of us cheered as we all made our way to the carnival.

"Wait, where is this carnival anyway?" Natsume, being one of the rational ones asked.

All of us stopped and turned towards Anna and Nonoko. The both of the sweat dropped.

"Don't worry, you just have to follow us! We know exactly where it is!" they reassured us.

The rest of us cheered, except for Hotaru and Natsume, and we followed them through the streets of Tokyo. It only took us about 15 minutes to walk there. And when we got there, all of us were flabbergasted! Well, maybe not Hotaru and Natsume, of course, but I'm pretty sure they were impressed.

"Wow, this place is huge" Misaki-senpai and I uttered, staring up at the place.

And it was. There were roller coasters, games, other random rides, challenges, food booths, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff that normal carnivals won't have! This is seriously going to be great!

"Are you guys going to stand there like idiots or are we all going in?" Hotaru asked.

"Tch" Natsume uttered as he pulled me into the carnival. "Do we have to pay for this stuff?"

"Nope! The cool thing is its free rides! But, you have to pay for food" Anna and Nonoko explained.

"Cool!" Permy, Koko, Kitsu, Hiro, and Misaki-senpai said.

All of us went in…while I was dragged in by Natsume.

"Hey Natsume, are you excited? You seem to want to ride some of the rides due to your dragging" I giggled.

"Tch" Natsume uttered and stopped dragging me.

"Oh, don't be such a sour puss" I laughed.

"I'm not" Natsume crossed his arms, slightly pouting.

"Aww, you're so cute! Look at you!" I giggled, fawning over him.

As I did so, I barely registered the fact that Natsume gave me a smirk. Oh, how should I have payed attention to it, because the next thing I knew, Natsume dragged me off towards a bench that was secluded from the rest of the carnival.

"Um, Natsume? Where are we going?" I asked as he sat me on the bench.

"I dunno" he answered as he sat next to me on the bench.

"Then why did you drag me here?"

""Cause I wanted to get away from them" Natsume pointed the direction we were at.

"So, you wanted some alone time?" I smirked knowingly.

"You can say that" Natsume gave me a small smile.

My breath hitched. He always does this to me! Whenever he smiles his bright, beautiful smiles, it always makes my heart flutter.

"So, where should we go first?" Natsume asked me, standing and extending a helping hand.

"I-I'm not sure" I stuttered out, accepting Natsume's hand.

"Walk around?" Natsume suggested.

"Yeah" I breathed out, smiling.

So, Natsume and I strolled off, our hands entwined with each other.

**~Chapter 19 End~**

Well, how was it? Was it cool? Do you want to hear about what is making Mikan nervous? Well, don't worry! It's coming soon! In the next chapter, you'll know!

I want to say thanks for all of the reviews and adding me to your alerts and/or favorites! I really appreciate it! I gotta go! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! ;D


	20. Chapter 20

Hey! I'm back with another chappie! And this soon? Well, I love all of your reviews! You are all so sweet! I love you all! And I will also update City of Runaways with a chapter after this! I just have to finish it! :D

Just on thing before you read: Mikan's parents are NOT fighting! It's just this weird dream Mikan has! And let me warn you about his chapter: it will make you want to cry! This isn't going to be cute or fluffy; it will be depressing! I'm just warning you! But this is all in the plot to make this story all the more interesting! I'm sorry if I disappoint you! *Bows vigorously*

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They both belong to the talented Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this plot line and my randomly made up characters! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

"So, where should we go first?" Natsume asked me, standing and extending a helping hand.

"I-I'm not sure" I stuttered out, accepting Natsume's hand.

"Walk around?" Natsume suggested.

"Yeah" I breathed out, smiling.

So, Natsume and I strolled off, our hands entwined with each other.

**Two Doors Down **

**~Chapter 20~**

~Mikan's POV~

"That was fun!" I exclaimed as I cuddled with Natsume.

Currently, Natsume and I, along with our friends are going home from a fun day at the carnival.

"Yeah! We should do it again sometime!" Anna giggled.

"But not right now; I'm pooped" Koko groaned.

"Why would you think it was now idiot?" Hotaru asked. "We just got back from the carnival."

Everyone laughed at Koko and Hotaru's quarrel... well, except for Koko, Hotaru, and Natsume. We all continued on our way until we all had to seperate to get home. Pretty soon, it was me, Misaki-senpai, Natsume, and Youichi. Natsume and I are going to take care of Youichi until his parents pick him up again.

When we got to Natsume's house, Misaki-senpai went to Natsume and her parents to tell them Natsume will be with me, helping to take care of Youichi at my house. Soon, Youichi, Natsume, and I were inside my living room, talking with my parents about our day.

"It seems that you all had fun!" Mom gushed happily.

"Mhmm! We did!" I replied. "Right Natsume? Youichi?"

"Yup!" Youichi answered.

"Yeah" Natsume said, smiling.

_DING-DONG_

We heard the door-bell ring. Mom got up to answer it; it was probably Mr. and Mrs. Hijiri, Youichi's parents. And, I was right. Youichi went home and Natsume and I excused ourselves to hang out at the Sakura tree.

"Don't stay out too late dear" Mom said, Dad nodding in agreement.

"We won't! See you later" I relplied.

Then, Natsume and I made our way to our Sakura tree. As we perched ourselves on our favorite branch of the tree, we watched the sun setting behind the horizon, hand in hand.

_**~Time Skip~**_

"_Hahahaha!" Mom and I laughed at the weird joke Dad just told as we rode through the dark, damp streets to home._

_I'm guessing it was of some important occasion because all of us were dressed formally._

"_We'll be having a party with for you at home where you can have your friends over and your boyfriend too" Mom said with a teasing tone._

"_Yay!" I cheered and giggled at the same time._

"_And, we have a great surprise for you-"_

"_Izumi! Watch out!" Mom cut Dad off._

_Dad and I averted our eyes to what Mom saw and our eyes widened. A car was hurtling towards us in a fast pace, threatening to crush us all._

"_Hang tight you two" Dad said, a little panic evident in his voice._

_Dad tried to swerve the car but..._

_SCREECH-CRASH!_

_And then, everything was dark._

"Aaaah!" I screamed as I woke up, sitting up strait in my bed.

I steadied my breaths and calmed my heart beat as my parents came in.

"Mikan! Are you okay?" Mom and Dad asked, checking me for any damage.

"I'm fine" I answered.

"It's that dream you keep on having isn't it?" Mom asked me, concerned.

I sighed and nodded my head. It was indeed, exactly that. The same dream that kept on haunting me. It gave me very bad feelings.

"Don't worry sweet heart, come to us when you are ready to talk about it" my father said, rubbing my back.

Yes, it's true: I haven't told my parents about it yet. They have no idea what the details are. I just don't feel...comfortable saying it aloud. It gave me the creeps...

"I-I'm not ready" I stuttered out.

"Well, let's not think about this! It's New Years Eve! And guess what that means" Mom grinned.

"My birthday is tomorrow!" I cheered happily.

"Yup! And do we have such great things in store for you!" Dad smiled at me. "Now get ready and come downstairs when your ready."

Then, both my parents went out of my room. I giggled as I slid out of my bed. I love my parents; I would practically die if I lost them... that's why I don't like that dream. It's as if God is trying to tell me something... something important.

I pushed those thoughts aside and got ready for the day. What? I can't think like that right now! It's New Years Eve! Not to mention the eve before my birthday! I can't think negative on such an eventful and celebrated day!

When I was done, I trailed my way down the stairs and to the dining room. The sight before me made me jump in happiness.

"Morning Mikan" Natsume said, lazily leaning against the dining room table.

He was holding a bouquet of an assortment of flowers and had the most beautiful smile in the whole universe. Oh my, I feel light headed!

"I know tomorrow's your Birthday-" Natsume started, making his way towards me, "but I wanted to say it first. So, Happy early Birthday Mikan."

Natsume was now right in front of me, pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear. I blushed as I felt my heart beat faster. I smiled brightly as I pulled Natsume into a hug.

"You're so sweet! Thank you Natsume!" I squealed giving him a peck on the lips.

"These are for you" Natsume blushed, resting his forehead on mine.

"Aww, I love you!" I gushed, kissing him once more.

"Love you too."

"Alright, enough already" Dad said, coming out of nowhere. "Let's start breakfast shall we?"

"Yeah!" Mom came in too, smiling at Natsume and I.

And so, all four of us at a breakfast that Mom prepared special for me. Aww, everyone is so nice! I mean, it's not even my real birthday but everyone is willing to have multiple celebrations for me! Aww, I don't deserve this!

After breakfast, Hotaru and the rest came and greeted me an early happy birthday. I was completely ecstatic when they came. Haha! I feel so loved! I can't believe that they are even more excited for my birthday than I am! I mean, it's MY birthday! Shouldn't I be the one gushing and harping about it? Not that I'm complaining.

"Mikan" Mom called me.

Right now, my friends and I were sitting in the living room talking about random stuff. I was resting in Natsume's lap as he held my waist.

"Yes Mom?" I asked, looking her way.

"We have a very special outing that we have to go to. I want you to dress in this dress and get all beautiful. Then, you can come down. Unfortunately, your friends and boyfriend can't come but they'll be here when we get back okay?"

I looked at my Mom suspiciously. What kind of family outing was this? And why was it so formal? I took a look at the dress my Mother was carrying and gaped at its beauty. It was an old styled dress, Victorian by the looks of it. It was completely white and would reach down to the floor on me. The collar was squared and it was shaped to hug the person at the top but flow out at the bottom. Its sleeves were a few inches wide and were made to be off the shoulder. Mom also handed me a pair of beautiful matching white, Victorian styled shoes. They were old fashioned, but beautiful! The heels were ankle cut and had laces to secure them on your foot.

"Mom, they are beautiful!" I breathed, getting up and gently grabbing them from my Mother.

"That's why I thought they'd be perfect for you. Now try them on and come downstairs when you're done." Mom said.

I nodded and headed upstairs to my room. I closed the door and put them on, careful not to break anything. I had to call Hotaru up to help me lace up the back of the dress, seeing that I couldn't reach them and lace them up properly without looking at them.

When I was done, I went to put on make-up while Hotaru went downstairs. But first, I made sure to slip on the heels Mom gave me. I applied a light blush and gold eye shadow along with a little eyeliner and shiny lip gloss. I put my hair up in a bun and was about to go downstairs when Natsume entered my room.

"Ah, Natsume! I was just about to go downstairs!" I chirped happily.

"Your Mom said to bring these up to you" Natsume uttered as he stared at me. I blushed as he handed me what was in his hands, but didn't stop staring.

"Thanks" I uttered as I looked at what was in my hands: white, elbow length satin gloves.

I peeked at Natsume, who was still staring at me, as I slipped on the gloves. I blushed at the fact he never looked away from me since he entered the room. I looked back down and fixed my gloves so that they'd look perfect when Natsume lifted my chin and his lips crashed to mine. I found myself kissing him back, not caring if this was ruining my make up. I could always fix it later. My arms wove themselves around his neck, pulling him closer to me. I felt Natsume wrapping his arms around my waist. Without me knowing it, Natsume pulled my hair loose from its bun and ran his fingers through my hair.

I pulled away from the kiss to catch my breath. As I rested my head on Natsume's chest, he teased my hair and combed through it with his fingers. When he was finished, I pulled away to look up at him.

"You should keep your hair down" Natsume smiled.

I smiled back and nodded at him cheerfully.

"Uh-oh. I messed up your make up" Natsume stated in an 'innocent' voice.

I looked into the mirror and sighed. "It's only lip gloss Natsume" I smiled at him.

When I saw his lips, I clapped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing. Why? Well, there was lip gloss all over Natsume's mouth.

"What are you laughing at?" Natsume asked, slightly irritated.

"Never in my LIFE did I ever think I'd see you with lip gloss on!" I laughed.

Natsume's eyes widened as he wiped the lip gloss away.

"Come on little girl, let's go downstairs" and then, Natsume pulled me out the door and to the front door.

Mom and Dad pulled me to the car before I could bid good bye to all my friends and give Natsume another kiss good bye and started to drive off to who knows where. What the?

When we got to our destination, I was completely ecstatic! It was that big fancy city hall building that I've always heard about located in the center of Tokyo! My parents suddenly blind folded me and lead me out of the car to who knows where. All I know was there are a lot of stairs. A few minutes later, I could hear my footsteps on a floor that sounded suspiciously like marble along with my parents' footsteps. It was a warm place so I'm pretty sure that we are inside. We entered a room since I heard a door open and all I could hear was silence and hushed whispers from time to time.

My parents took off the blind fold and I blinked so that I could regain my sight. The sight in front of me surprised me:

"HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY MIKAN!"

It was my whole family together in a huge and elegant hall, wearing elegant gowns and such for this party. There was a huge dance floor in the middle and there were tables all around. My long line of family was scattered everywhere and I couldn't figure out who to say hi to first. But, I guess I don't have to since everyone was rushing to me first.

"Mikan" Mom said, "our family is having your birthday party now instead of tomorrow because everyone will be busy then. I hope you don't mind."

"No! This is great!" I said. "This is perfect!"

Then, I was surrounded with my family members that I haven't seen in forever…

_~Time Skip~_

The party was great! I dance with all of my uncles including uncle Reo and uncle Rei whom I haven't seen since I was 10 and I even got so see Grandpa! I haven't seen him in forever and I missed him terribly! I danced with Grandpa several times because of our bonding and finding what has been going on in our lives. I told him all about Natsume and he seems to approve of him.

Right now, Mom, Dad and I are in the car, driving home. It was already dark out and the roads were slick and wet. I guess it rained when we were inside the hall and having my party.

"Hey, why did the chicken NOT cross the road?" Dad asked as he turned the corner.

"…Why?" I asked hesitantly.

" 'Cause his foot was stuck in a piece of gum!" Dad laughed.

Mom and I looked at each other for a second, our eyebrows raised.

"Hahahaha!" Mom and I laughed at the weird joke Dad just told as we rode through the dark, damp streets to home.

Wait. Why does this situation seem a bit familiar?

"We'll be having a party with for you at home where you can have your friends over and your boyfriend too" Mom said with a teasing tone.

"Yay!" I cheered and giggled at the same time. And then, I stopped. I thought about the dream I had last night and the nights before. Oh no…

"And, we have a great surprise for you-"

"Izumi! Watch out!" Mom cut Dad off.

Dad and I averted our eyes to what Mom saw and our eyes widened. A car was hurtling towards us in a fast pace, threatening to crush us all.

"Hang tight you two" Dad said, a little panic evident in his voice.

Now I'm scared. What's happening? Why am I dreaming this? Oh my god, what's going to happen?

Dad tried to swerve the car but...

SCREECH-CRASH!

I opened my eyes to see that the car was upside down. My vision was blurry and I couldn't think strait. What's happening? All of a sudden, I heard an ambulance and voices outside the car. And then, I remembered everything, the party, the crash, the dream, everything.

"Is anyone in there that is awake? How many of you are in there?" I heard a deep voice ask.

"T-three" I muttered. I couldn't make my voice go that loud. What was wrong with me?

"Hey, we got three people in here! There's a young girl conscious! We gotta get them out of there quick! The car's gonna explode!"

I took off my seatbelt only to fall onto the roof of the car. I groaned when my head made impact and my vision went fuzzy. I looked at my parents and tears came to my eyes. They were bruised and bloody; so fragile looking…

"Mom, Dad, wake up" I said, shaking the two. I started to panic when they didn't respond. "Mom! Dad! Wake up! Please wake up!" I somehow managed to yell.

But then, I found myself being dragged out of the car by a policeman.

"No! My parents are in there! Mom! Dad! I need to save them!" I struggled weakly as I cried.

I somehow got free but just as I was about to open the car door, the car exploded. I shot a few feet back and landed on the cement. I quickly got up, ignoring the pain in my body and stared at the car in shock. Medical workers, firemen, and police men surrounded me as they checked my pulse and asked me questions. I completely ignored them. I tried to stand, but fell back down on my knees.

"MOM! DAD!" I screamed, crying my heart out.

Please don't leave me! Please…please be safe! I turned to one of the police officers and looked at them with hopeful eyes.

"Please tell me that you got them out safely!" I sobbed, clutching my dress.

He looked back at me with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry. We couldn't get to them in time. I'm so sorry…" his voice ended with a whisper as I cried even harder, not caring if anyone was trying to help me.

I was being loaded into the ambulance when the fireworks came up, painting the sky with beautiful and vibrant colors. Yeah, happy birthday me…

**~Chapter 20 End~**

Awwwww! Sad chappie! I'm sorry if you all are disappointed! I just couldn't help but put something hecka exciting in here! Anyways, I would like to thank all of you who have added me to your favorites and/or alerts! I really appreciate it!

Gotta to! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They all belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story plot! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

"Please tell me that you got them out safely!" I sobbed, clutching my dress.

He looked back at me with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry. We couldn't get to them in time. I'm so sorry…" his voice ended with a whisper as I cried even harder, not caring if anyone was trying to help me.

I was being loaded into the ambulance when the fireworks came up, painting the sky with beautiful and vibrant colors. Yeah, happy birthday me…

**Two Doors Down **

**~Chapter 21~**

~Natsume's POV~

It's been three weeks since the car accident in which Mikan lost her parents. Once the gang and I heard about the accident, we dropped all the decorations for Mikan's surprise birthday party and headed towards the hospital. Mikan was unconscious but her parents had a worse fate. I stayed right next to Mikan that whole night, refusing to leave her side even when my parents came to take me home. When she woke up, she was completely depressed. She didn't laugh, she didn't cry, she didn't do anything. All she did was look at me with empty eyes, holding my hand.

She would whisper "don't leave me" over and over again.

I was scared. I didn't know what to do. So, all I said was "I'll never even think of leaving you."

She was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago due to her needing therapy and counseling. She still goes to her counseling and therapies, but they seem not to be working. Mikan is living alone at her house right now. My parents and I check up on her every day. I stay with her at her home all the time. I spend the night with her too. I can't leave her alone; not like this...

Right now, Mikan still seems depressed but is getting a little better. She talks a bit more and she smiles every now and then. She's able to tell me what is on her mind when I ask her. So, she's improving. I still stay with her at her house. We eat our dinner at my house and then we sleep in her room. She doesn't want to leave home.

I wish this never happened. It breaks my heart to see Mikan so broken, so fragile. I can't imagine what kind of things that she must be going through. Poor Mikan. I swear I will make her smile again; if it's the last thing I do.

Our group is sitting in school, having our lunch. Mikan is participating in the conversation, but not that much. She just chews on her sandwich and laughs once in a while, adding her own thoughts. I just eat my food and sit with Mikan in my lap, keeping an arm wrapped around Mikan's waist.

"Are you okay?" I whisper in her ear when I noticed she was just staring off into thin air.

"Y-yeah" she stuttered, looking down.

I know she's not okay. I know she just wants to be in some peace and quiet. Stupid little girl. She shouldn't make herself suffer.

I stood up and picked Mikan up, holding her in bridal position.

"Excuse us, we'll be off" I said. Then, with a struggling Mikan in my arms, I walked off to the back of the school.

"What was that about Natsume?" Mikan asked me, pouting at me.

I set her down carefully, examining her with a concerned look. "I'm taking you to somewhere quiet."

Mikan quieted down and stared at her feet. I noticed small tears rolling down her cheeks. She's crying! I quickly pulled her into a warm embrace, rubbing her back to ease the pain as she cried. I feel so useless! Why can't I stop her from crying?

"Mikan…" I started, "What would your parents think…if they knew you were crying for them? Do you think they want you to cry?"

Mikan calmed down a bit and looked up to me. "N-no.."

"So, you should stop crying. They're watching over you in heaven. And I'm sure that they'll always be looking out for you… They'll always be with you."

Mikan looked up to me as her arms made their way around my neck.

"You mean it?" she asked.

I nodded to her and gave her a smile. She smiled back and wiped the tears off of her cheeks.

"You're right! I-I h-have to move on! Th-they wouldn't like it if they found out I was crying…" Mikan was quiet for a bit but then looked up to me, smiling broadly, true happiness evident in her eyes. "Thank you, Natsume."

I smiled wider. I did it! I made her happy again! She moved on! And it's all because of me! Yes! I leaned down and captured her lips in happiness. I felt Mikan kiss me back with just as much happiness.

All of a sudden, I heard clapping. I'm pretty sure Mikan did too because we both pulled away and looked towards the sound. We found Koko, Imai, Anna, Nonoko, Ruka, Hiroshima, Yuu, Misaki, Tsubasa, Kitsu, Permy, and Youichi clapping, and some crying. You know who was crying.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, completely annoyed.

"Watching, obviously" Imai stated, closing her camera and putting it who knows where.

I felt a vein throb in my forehead. I was about to explode when Mikan enveloped me in a hug.

"Why were you watching us? Are you all perverts?" Mikan asked innocently.

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE blushed, turned around, and ran away from us. I looked at Mikan who was giggling innocently at them, watching in amusement. She looked up to me innocently. I chuckled.

"Nice job, little girl" I smirked.

Mikan pouted and smacked me on the shoulder playfully as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I laughed as I leaned down and gave Mikan another kiss but more passionate.

_~Time Skip~_

It's been two months since Mikan's parents' death. She's fully recovered from the shock and depression. I still stay with her at her house during the night because she didn't want to leave her house still. Imai, Anna, Nonoko, and my sister, Misaki, came over sometimes to have a sleep over. I'd just check on them a couple times and tuck Mikan in to sleep before going home and sleeping in my house.

Since I've gotten used to sleeping with Mikan in her room, it felt kind of odd. I guess I got used to sleeping with Mikan. Heh, funny.

As Mikan and I sit in first period, hand in hand in our seats, we hear the all-call turn on:

"Mikan Sakura, please report to the High School Principal's office. Mikan Sakura, please report to the High School Principal's office. Thank you."

I looked at Mikan with confused eyes. She looked back with the same look.

"What's that all about?" I asked her as we both stood up.

"I-I don't know…" she hesitated to go to the door.

I squeezed her hand, making her look at me. I smiled. "I'll come with you."

Mikan smiled and nodded. We walked out of the class and made our way to the High School Principal's office without getting Narumi's permission if I could go. I bet he would have said yes if I asked, so why should I?

I waited outside as Mikan went in, hesitating due to nervousness. I waited for about ten minutes until Mikan came out, completely shocked. She looked…different. She had no expression; she just stared at the floor. Her eyes…her eyes were the way they were when her parents died…what happened?

"Mikan, are you okay?" I asked, walking up to her and caressing her cheeks, making her look at me.

She stared at me with empty eyes. She's scaring me.

"Mikan, what happened?" I asked her, completely worried.

It was a few minutes until Mikan spoke up, her voice completely monotone:

"I-I'm moving…."

It took a few seconds for that to settle in. And when it did, I couldn't believe it.

"What?" I preactically screamed, my eyes bulging.

Mikan just shook her head, tears making their way out of the corners of her eyes. I stared down at her in complete shock. What am I going to do? Why is she leaving? Why is she leaving me? I can't…I can't survive without her! She can't leave!

"No, you can't leave!" I said, pulling her into a tight hug.

Mikan hugged me back and started sobbing. I had a hard time holding back the tears that were accumulating in my eyes. I felt hot tears trailing down my cheeks. I've never cried before; maybe I did when I was a baby… but never when I was old enough to know what crying is…

I felt the presence of the High School Principal behind the two of us. "I'm so sorry" he whispered. "Her grandfather just got news of this happening… He wants her to live with him from now on."

I tightened my grip around Mikan's waist, afraid that if I let go, she'd disappear forever. I can't let her go… I can't live without her… What am I going to do?

_~Time Skip~_

The day is over; Mikan told everyone else the news. I can't believe that she's leaving! I can't… sigh.

We all walked silently to our homes, not uttering a single word. We came to the point when we would separate. Everyone gave Mikan a hug and went on our own ways…except for Misaki. She's with us. I held Mikan's hand as we walked, giving her reassurance as I got some too. Misaki went home and told Mom and Dad everything while Mikan and I went to her house.

We walked into Mikan's room; that's where she broke down…hard.

She fell to the floor on her knees, covering her face with her eyes as she cried. Her expression broke my heart. I kneeled down and hugged her tightly, letting myself cry with her. I wish this never happened; if that accident didn't happen, then everything would be better… she wouldn't be leaving.

We stayed in that position for who knows how long; probably an hour or two. I whispered comforting words to her, trying to be seen as 'strong' or 'unaffected'. But, I still felt broken, lost, scared. Honestly, I have no idea what to do now…

"Natsume…" Mikan whispered, looking up at me.

"Yeah" I replied, trying my best not to let my voice shake.

"I-I'm… I'm so sorry… I…I can't" Mikan let out a sob.

"Shh, it's okay" I whispered, holding her head to my shoulder.

"…I know you're not okay…You know so well that nothing's okay… Natsume…" Mikan mumbled, gripping my shirt tightly.

My eyes widened. She was completely right… heh, she knows me so well. I smiled into her hair as I shed more tears than before, crying with the girl I love.

After we both calmed down a bit, we started our homework. It didn't take very long; the teachers didn't assign much to anyone due to the shock that had occurred earlier. Once we finished it, Mikan changed into a blue jean skirt and a navy blue long sleeve with blue converse. We went to my house and I changed as well. I changed into a pair of black jeans and a white shirt.

"Mom, Dad" I called and went to the living room where they were. Both of them looked at us with concerned eyes. "We're going to the park."

"…A-alright" Mom stuttered. Her eyes softened as she stood up and gave Mikan a pat on her shoulder. "If you need anything, Mikan, just come to us. Okay?"

Mikan shook her head and did her best to smile. "No, you've already done enough; you've been so helpful this past month and I have no idea how I could repay you. I am eternally grateful" Mikan bowed.

"There's no need; you are already family to us" Dad smiled, getting up himself.

Misaki did the same, giving Mikan a big hug. And, of course, she hugged Misaki back. We said our good-byes and Mikan and I were off to the Sakura tree. Even though Mikan went through a depression, it doesn't mean that we stopped going there.

Mikan and I sat at the base of the trunk. We sat hand in hand and watched the oranges and pinks of the sunset. The whole time, we stayed quiet, just relishing in our company. I wonder how all this will turn out. By the time the sunset was over, Mikan's head was resting against my shoulder and my head on hers. I bet she's sleeping.

I stayed like that for a while, sorting my thoughts on what I am going to do when the time comes when Mikan moves. I would call her every day and we'd send letters. We could visit each other once in a while; one of us could travel to meet each other. Where is she moving anyways?

"...Natsume…?" I heard Mikan mumble. Heh, I guess she's awake…DUH.

"Wh-where…?" Mikan had a confused look on her face.

"We're still at the Sakura tree" I lifted her up into my arms and started to carry her to her house.

Mikan wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in the crook of my neck. I felt her breath tickling my skin. I couldn't help but blush. Mikan's grip on me became tighter as I felt her kiss my neck. Goosebumps rose on my arms. A shiver ran down my spine at the same time. What was Mikan doing? She's never done anything like this before…

My thoughts were cut short when Mikan pulled away and kissed my lips softly. I stopped walking due to complete and utter shock.

"Thanks…." Mikan smiled at me, "for everything."

I smiled at Mikan and muttered a "you're welcome" and presented Mikan with another kiss, not able to help it.

Our kiss didn't last long; it was short and sweet. But, I still like it. I never do mind when Mikan decides to cut our kisses short. I know I'll get more later… But now, I won't.

Oh, Mikan…what will I do without you?

**~Chapter 21 End~**

I'm so sorry that this chapter is short! And I'm sorry that I didn't list your names down on who reviewed and added me to their faves/alerts! I'm so mean! Also, I'm sorry that I will be unable to update City of Runaways tonight either! Please accept my apology!

Thank you, all of you, who have read my story, reviewed it, and/or added me to their faves/alerts! You all are my inspiration in writing! If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't be writing in the first place! Thank you for reading! And please do review!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They all belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the story plot and my randomly made up characters! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(…)

My thoughts were cut short when Mikan pulled away and kissed my lips softly. I stopped walking due to complete and utter shock.

"Thanks…." Mikan smiled at me, "for everything."

I smiled at Mikan and muttered a "you're welcome" and presented Mikan with another kiss, not able to help it.

Our kiss didn't last long; it was short and sweet. But, I still like it. I never do mind when Mikan decides to cut our kisses short. I know I'll get more later… But now, I won't.

Oh, Mikan…what will I do without you?

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 22~**

~Mikan's POV~

As Natsume and I reached the Hyuuga household porch, he set me down so that I could walk. The both of us made our way into the house, greeting those who were already in there. As Natsume, Auntie, Uncle, and Misaki made their way to the dining room, I just spaced out. I barely noticed the fact that Natsume was gently tugging me along with them, leading me to a seat.

I silently thanked Natsume as he sat down next to me. As the family started to eat, I left my plate empty. I'm not hungry anyways. I have too much in my mind to eat right now.

I can't believe that I'm moving! I remember what the High School Principal told me…

_~Flashback~_

"Mikan, please take a seat" the High School Principal said.

I followed his orders immediately, sitting at the couch he had gestured to. I tried my best to stay calm and focused, knowing that Natsume was waiting outside of those doors for me to come out. With that thought, I grew more confident. I can make it though as long as I know Natsume's there for me. But…something felt so wrong here, now. It felt as if something bad is bound to happen…

"I assume you are wondering about why I have called you here, am I right?" The High School Principal asked me, sounding a bit depressed.

I could only nod, confused as to why he was acting this way.

"Please, call me Uncle Kazumi" He said softly, not meeting my confused gaze.

"O-okay.." I stuttered, utterly confused.

"The reason is that I am your real Uncle. Your father is my brother…"

My eyes widened at the Pri- I mean, at Uncle Kazumi's confession. I didn't know about this! Why didn't Dad tell me?

"…Uhh, Uncle Kazumi? Why did you call me to your office?" I asked somewhat reluctantly.

He turned his gaze to me, giving me a small smile.

"I guess you are right to the point, am I correct? Well, I have just been informed by you grandfather that he wants you to move with him" he stated hesitantly.

I stared at the man before me, wide eyed. He started to sweat profusely. He looked as if he were guilty and sorry for what he was saying and about to let happen.

"I'm so sorry. Your grandfather heard about the news along with all your other relatives and decided that it would be best for you to live with him for a while; at least until you've graduated college. Or until you've found yourself a good paying job and can attend college yet maintain your own place and job." He whispered.

I couldn't believe my ears; just when I thought it was all getting better, it got worse. How could this happen? Why me? Why is this happening to me?

I felt my heart ache at the though of leaving my childhood home, the place I grew up in. I felt my heart clench at the though of leaving all of my good friends behind, not to see them for years to come. But most of all, I felt my heart wrench in pain at the thought of leaving Natsume: the first and only guy that I have ever loved. I will never love anyone else but Natsume; I will never be able to let him go. How could I just up and leave him like that? It's impossible! It would hurt too much…

"I don't want to" I stated, tears rolling down my cheeks. But, I quickly wiped them off.

"I'm sorry but it's already decided. You will have to pack up your things and move to your grandfather's house. You have one month." Uncle Kazumi said, his voice shaking a bit.

I couldn't do anything but nod in defeat and rise from my seat. I made my way to the door of the office and faced Natsume who noticed my look. His beautiful face soon showed all the concern he held for me…

_~Flashback End~_

"Mikan, sweetie, why don't you eat?" Auntie Kaoru asked me worriedly.

"I'm not hungry" I replied, my voice a bit rouch.

Natsume suddenly stood up and helped me out of my chair.

"I'm done eating. Mikan and I will go now. Good night" Natsume said, dragging me out of the house.

As the two of us made our way to my house, we held each other's hands. I got some reassurance as I felt the warmth of Natsume's hand gripping mine. I feel so safe around him.

We got into the house after unlocking the door. Then, we went upstairs and walked into my room.

"Go take a shower and get ready, okay?" Natsume told me.

I nodded and did as he was told. I guess Natsume was going to take a shower in the other shower in the hallway because I'm using Mom and Dad's one….

I let myself get drenched with the hot water, letting it wash all of the stress off of me. Ever since Natsume has started staying here, there was always a little part of my closet that had Natsume's clothes in it. He had all the necessities he needed right there in his very own portion. I have no idea when it was official, but those specific spots are now Natsume's and Natsume's only.

When I finished showering, I got dressed into the clothes that I had brought with me and brushed my hair and teeth. I made my way back to my room to find Natsume already there, steam drifting off of his hair signaling he just finished his shower. He sat on my bed, facing towards the door with a towel hanging off of his shoulders. I noticed his hair was still dripping.

I made my way towards him and immediately started to dry his hair, taking my precious time to do so. I heard Natsume sighed as I did this, obviously enjoying this. I smiled to myself. I wonder how it would be like without him around.

That thought was enough to make me feel depressed, finishing off drying Natsume's hair with no energy or enthusiasm at all.

"Mikan?" Natsume called softly, turning around to face me. "What's wrong?"

I stayed silent for a minute, directing my gaze towards my folded legs. I didn't dare look up to meet his gaze.

"…How am I going to survive…when I'm not with you?" I asked softly, aware of the crystalline tears forming in my eyes.

Natsume pulled me into a hug. I immediately hugged him back, relishing in the warm embrace of his. I am going to miss this.

"We'll keep in touch; we'll call each other every day: once in the morning, once at night. On the holidays, we'll try to visit each other. And we can send each other letters" Natsume went down the list of communications we have for each other. I smiled at the comments that Natsume made. He's so sweet.

"Where are you moving anyways?" Natsume asked me, somewhat reluctantly.

"….Kyoto" I whispered.

"Huh?" Natsume asked.

"I'm moving…to Kyoto" I told him, my voice quivering.

I felt Natsume stiffen at my statement.

"…I guess visiting each other is out" I heard Natsume say, disappointingly.

It's true; Kyoto is very far away from Tokyo. It would be hard to visit each other no matter how rare we visit each other.

"But we can still send each other letters and call each other right?" Natsume asked me, looking up at me with 'innocent' eyes.

I giggled. "Yeah, all the time!"

I swear, sometimes, Natsume can be so cute! I looked at the clock, noticing that it is already 10:37. Time to sleep!

"Natsume, let's sleep now" I said, taking the covers and getting underneath them.

Natsume smiled down at me and stood up, placing his towel at some random area. He turned off the lights and a few seconds later, I felt him climb into the bed next to me.

I hugged Natsume around his waist tightly, burying my head into his chest. I breathed in his scent, relishing in the warmth he gave me. Natsume hugged me back, pulling me closer to him. As I closed my eyes, I smiled. I am so happy that I have Natsume. I have no idea why I deserve him. He is the most perfect person in the world! I love him so much…

My eye lids grew heavy and I drifted to sleep, hearing Natsume murmur a good night to me before I drifted off.

I felt the sunlight hit my skin before I even opened my eyes. I know that it's morning. But, I'm still tired for some reason. I cuddled into Natsume's warmth, pulling in closer to him. I sighed, loving the way Natsume pulled me even closer than before.

All of a sudden, the alarm clock started beeping, waking me up fully. I heard Natsume growl a bit, and I couldn't help but giggle. I opened my eyes to see Natsume slowly take his arm out of around my waist and turn the alarm clock off.

I watch, amused, as Natsume wrapped his arm around my waist again, burying his face into the crook of my neck. I giggled once more.

"Good morning, Natsume" I said softly, kissing his forehead.

"Morning" I heard Natsume mutter into my neck.

"It's time to get up" I told him. "It's time for school."

"I don't wanna go!" Natsume whined.

I laughed at his childishness. I love it when he becomes like this. It's so cute! I ran my fingers through his hair and sighed, gazing at him lovingly.

"C'mon" I said, sitting up just to have Natsume pull me back down again, "let's go."

"Nu-uh" Natsume muttered stubbornly.

"Natsume!" I whined. "What would your parents think? They're going to come and check up on us again."

Yes, again. It has happened before. It was on a morning just like this one when Natsume was being childish and stubborn. He didn't want to get up and he had kept me captive just like this. So, I just gave up and let him cuddle with me. Well, I cuddled with him too but that's not the point.

Anyways, Natsume's parents came into the room and started taking so many pictures and recorded a video of the whole transaction. I swear that they're never going to let him forget it.

At this remembrance, Natsume got up and started getting ready. I laughed and did the same, dressing into the school uniform and doing our daily routines. Once we were done, we headed over to the Hyuuga household for breakfast. I feel way better than I did last night; Auntie Kaoru pointed it out too.

All of us ate and laughed and teased Natsume. Yes, I told them about earlier. Haha, I'm so mean! After we were done, Misaki walked along with Natsume and I towards school. We met up with Hotaru, Ruka, Anna, Nonoko, Koko, Kitsu, Permy, Yuu, Tono-senpai, Tsubasa-senpai, Hiro, and Youichi and his parents.

We all walked and talked; I also told them about Natsume earlier this morning. Natsume wasn't happy about that.

We all walked into our first period class and when Narumi-sensei came in, we started our classes.

We just followed our schedules until lunch when we all ate underneath the school's Sakura tree. We talked about where I was moving and I felt a little depressed as we talked about this…

"You're moving where!" Anna and Nonoko screeched as Permy spit out her water in surprise and Hotaru chocked on her crab. Everyone else was just too shocked to do anything, let alone breathe.

"I'm moving to Kyoto" I whispered once more, trying my best not to cry.

I looked down at the ground, not bothering to look anyone in the eyes. I could feel the hot tears prickling my eyes. I can't cry! Not now…

I felt Natsume pull me into a reassuring hug, his arms wrapped around my waist as he positioned us so that I was sitting on his lap. I put my hands over his and smiled a bit. This was enough to keep me from crying.

I suddenly felt a whole bunch of hands on my shoulders. I looked up to see everyone patting my shoulders, smiling sadly down at me.

"It's going to be okay" Hotaru smiled at me, tears forming in her eyes.

I couldn't help but smile.

**~Chapter 22 End~**

So, how was it? Good eh? Well, I hope so! Thank you all for the reviews and adding me to your favorites and/or alerts! I really appreciate it! You are so nice! I love you all! I'm so sorry for not listing your names or replying to your reviews! I'll try to do so next time! :D

I have to go now! I hope you all continue to read my stories! :D And sorry for the late update!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off!


	23. Chapter 23

What up? I know, all of you have waited a week for this so let's just get on with this, ne? :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(XP)

We all walked into our first period class and when Narumi-sensei came in, we started our classes.

We just followed our schedules until lunch when we all ate underneath the school's Sakura tree. We talked about where I was moving and I felt a little depressed as we talked about this…

"You're moving where!" Anna and Nonoko screeched as Permy spit out her water in surprise and Hotaru chocked on her crab. Everyone else was just too shocked to do anything, let alone breathe.

"I'm moving to Kyoto" I whispered once more, trying my best not to cry.

I looked down at the ground, not bothering to look anyone in the eyes. I could feel the hot tears prickling my eyes. I can't cry! Not now…

I felt Natsume pull me into a reassuring hug, his arms wrapped around my waist as he positioned us so that I was sitting on his lap. I put my hands over his and smiled a bit. This was enough to keep me from crying.

I suddenly felt a whole bunch of hands on my shoulders. I looked up to see everyone patting my shoulders, smiling sadly down at me.

"It's going to be okay" Hotaru smiled at me, tears forming in her eyes.

I couldn't help but smile.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 23~**

~Mikan's POV~

Natsume and I walked home, hand in hand as Misaki-senpai walked behind the both of us. I have no idea if she were watching us or not; but if she were, she didn't acknowledge it.

Natsume and I decided to do homework at his house tonight, just to try something different than usual. Misaki-senpai walked in after Natsume and I, greeting her parents just as Natsume did. I gave them a smile before Natsume dragged me up the stairs to his room…literally.

"Eh, Natsume?" I muttered, confused by his actions.

Natsume gently nudged me into his room before closing his door softly behind him. He looked at me with concerned eyes; it's not how he looked like when we walked in earlier.

"Are you sure you can't stay" he asked me with sad eyes.

I felt my heart grow heavy by this. He looks so sweet, so vulnerable. I just want to grab him and tell him everything he wants to hear and make him smile and promise I'll be with him forever.

But it's not true. I can't be with him forever. It is already obvious seeing the fact that I am to move in less than a month.

"I can't" I whispered, looking down at my feet. I struggled to keep from crying.

Slowly, Natsume took one step towards me; then another. And another. Soon enough, he held me in his arms, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I did the same, hugging him back. I feel so tiny whenever Natsume hugs me; I feel as if he's protecting me.

"I'm going to miss you" Natsume whispered, resting his forehead on mine.

I trailed my fingers down his nape as I stared into his beautiful crimson orbs. "I'm going to miss you too."

Natsume lowered his head and gave me a sweet kiss. And once we were finished with the heated kiss, we started our homework as if nothing had happened… well, we were holding hands as we did so.

After homework, Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran asked Natsume to do some errands for them, so I ended up going to my house alone. But, I didn't complain. I will see him later when he comes to bed.

As I stepped into my room, I sighed. I guess I have to start packing… but first I will take a shower. With my mind made up, I did just that. After I showered, I dried my hair and left it down, slipping on some white pajama shorts with purple hearts all over it and a light purple tank top underneath a white v-neck sleeping shirt.

I walked back into my room and looked around, analyzing my room. I should keep all the things that are important to me; things with meaning and memories of times here. But, I think I should go through the other parts of the house first; meaning Mom and Dad's room.

I walked in, letting my eyes take in my surroundings. There was the king sized bed placed at the far end and a walk in closet connected to a huge bathroom that they used. A bedside table was beside each side of the bed, holding different pictures and a lamp. They also had drawers. I wonder what is in them….

Curiosity killed the cat. I couldn't help but open up Dad's drawer and look through the random things inside of it, sifting through receipts and paper work. Nothing of importance is in here. I made my way to Mom's bedside table and looked in the drawer too. I kept on digging before something caught my eye: a light orange envelope decorated with a beautiful pink Sakura flower at the right bottom corner.

"Mikan"

My name was on the envelope in my Mom's elegant script. I have no idea what it was for but I know it is important. I could hear my heart beat in my ears as I opened the envelope. I noticed the two signatures at the bottom of the similarly decorated paper and instantly knew that this note is really from my parents. I'm so nervous about this… None-the-less, I started to read the letter:

Our dearest Mikan,

If you are reading this now, something must have happened to your father and I. Dry your tears little one; we are fine. You may not see us, but we are watching over you, and it will stay that way forever. Stay strong for the both of us and strive for what you want, what you deserve. We believe in you, whatever choices you make.

We are sincerely sorry for not being able to stay with you until adulthood, but we cannot come back. It is impossible to turn back time, and it is horrible to keep you head in the past. The past is the past; it has already happened. Do not dwell on the past; do not try to take your so called 'revenge' for us. Please, just let us go and we will be at peace.

All we want is for our little baby to be happy. Don't cry and listen to your mother; she is right. We hope for the best for you sweetie.

An awaiting sob escaped my mouth as I read this. Tears were already cascading down my cheeks. My eyes sting and my vision is blurry. It hurts so much to read this letter. But, I just have to keep going. I continued with my father's side of the letter, trying to make the words out on the paper. I felt a tear drop fall onto the paper, making the ink run.

You know, your mother and I love you more than anything in the world; we'd give up anything for you. And that includes our lives.

Another sob.

So don't regret; dry your tears and stop crying. You are a strong girl and I don't want you wasting you life away crying and regretting.

We love you, Mikan. Don't you ever forget it.

Loving you forever,

Mommy &Daddy

The sound of my sobs filled the room as I felt myself falling down onto my knees. I cried, clutching my heart through my shirt. Mommy…Daddy… how can I ever let you go? It hurts so much; even the thought of letting them go makes me want to cry and never stop crying. I can't even think about letting them go. But…

I can't just NOT do their last request. Maybe…if I let them go, they will be able to be at rest without any sadness, any regret… I….I…

All of a sudden, I felt a pat on my back. Surprised, I turned and saw Natsume, looking at me with soft eyes. I couldn't help but to fling myself into his waiting arms. I cried and cried and cried.

"…Natsume…." I sobbed, holding him tight.

He just shushed me as he rubbed my back soothingly. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore; until I had no more tears.

"I promise" I whispered into Natsume's shoulder as I felt my eyes grew heavy.

"What do you mean?" Natsume asked, mildly confused.

"I promise…Mommy…Daddy…" and then everything was black.

I felt so comfortable as I woke up, feeling the softness and warmth of my surroundings. Strong arms were wrapped around my waist and I could hear the rhythmic breathing of the person beside me. A familiar yet intoxicating scent filled my nose, making me feel light headed. I snuggled closer to the warmth, loving the way that when I did, Natsume's grip on me tightened.

I kept my eyes shut as I contemplated the past events that- most likely- happened last night. I remember the little snippets that were part of the letter:

Dry your tears little one

I swear I won't cry again.

Stay strong for the both of us and strive for what you want, what you deserve.

I WILL do exactly that; never stop until I get it.

Do not dwell on the past; do not try to take your so called 'revenge' for us. Please, just let us go and we will be at peace.

I swear I will. Anything for the both of you, Mom.

Don't cry and listen to your mother; she is right.

Y-yes D-dad.

We love you, Mikan. Don't you ever forget it.

I love you too! I love you too….

"M-Mikan?" I heard Natsume call, shifting a bit on the bed.

I only just noticed that I had started to cry. My breath was uneven too and I was sweating a bit.

"Mikan, wake up!" Natsume's voice sounded panicked.

I instantly opened up my eyes, sitting up slowly. "Sorry" I muttered to him, drying my cheeks.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Natsume asked me, giving me a hug.

"No, I was awake. I was just…thinking."

"Hmm…what about?"

"The note…"

Natsume hugged me tighter, pulling me closer to him. I buried my head into his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck.

The both of us said nothing, keeping everything silent for the longest time. After a few minutes, Natsume spoke:

"I guess we're skipping school today" Natsume glanced at the clock on the bedside table as he said this.

I repeated the gesture, noticing that it was already noon.

"Why didn't your parents or Misaki-senpai come up to tell us?" I asked him quietly.

"I guess they thought that they should just leave us alone…" Natsume took a look at me. "Are you still sleepy?"

I nodded as I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. Natsume held me close and sighed. I felt his breath on my neck.

"Let's just go to sleep" Natsume muttered, falling back down to the bed as he took me with him.

I giggled and got comfortable, still not letting Natsume out of my embrace as did he. I felt myself drifting into sleep.

I promise…Mom…Dad…

**~Chapter 23 End~**

This is NOT a cliff hanger! I repeat, this is NOT a cliff hanger! It's just the ending! Anywho, I hope you all liked the chapter! Here's a thanks to all those who have added me to your faves and/or alerts and/or sent me a review! And those people are…

Muzikchick4eva

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Once again, thank you all! I love you! I'm such a lucky authoress to have all these fans! Ah, I feel the love! :D

Well, I have to go!

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	24. Chapter 24

Wassup my homies? XP Haha, just felt like saying that! You all seem confuzzled with all of your questions and what not. Let me just say this: you will all know the answers. Just because this is ending, doesn't mean that nothing is going to happen! Haha! Well, let's get this story going, ne? :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(That was a pretty depressing chapter…)

"Let's just go to sleep" Natsume muttered, falling back down to the bed as he took me with him.

I giggled and got comfortable, still not letting Natsume out of my embrace as did he. I felt myself drifting into sleep.

I promise…Mom…Dad…

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 24~**

~Mikan's POV~

Natsume and I slept the whole day, not bothering to eat. I know Natsume was hungry, but he wouldn't listen to me when I told him to eat. I wasn't hungry, and he said he wouldn't eat unless I ate with him. So, I worried for him.

Hotaru and the rest came to visit since the both of us didn't attend classes. They gave us our homework and told us what we missed out. And we all completed our homework together.

"What are we going to do now?" Koko asked, looking around my room.

"Well," I started. Everyone looked at me. "I have to start packing…"

Everyone got a depressed look. But then, Tsubasa-senpai got up and forced a smile.

"We'll help you; how does that sound?" he asked.

I smiled a bit and nodded. Then, we got to work. We first decided what I should keep with me and what we should get rid of. As we sifted through a whole bunch of random stuff and put things in boxes, Koko popped up with a bin.

"Hey look! I found a whole bunch of baby videos and pictures of Mikan!"

And with that, everyone, including Natsume, rushed over to Koko's side to get a look. I blushed and tried to take the stuff away but everyone was able to keep it from me. Meanies!

So, now, I'm being forced to endure watching the embarrassing baby videos of me while all the others coo and laugh.

"_Mikan! It's Christmas!" my Mom said in the video._

"_Yay!" Five year old me squealed while running down the stairs._

_All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Mom opened it up and in walked Hotaru._

"_Hotaru!" I squealed happily and I ran in to hug her._

_Then, she hit me on the head. "Oww!" I cried._

"_Don't try to hug me" Hotaru in the video said coldly._

_I started crying. "Hotaru, you meanie!"_

"_Mikan, let's go open the presents that Santa left" Mom tried to calm me down. I immediately jumped up and followed her and Hotaru to the Christmas tree._

_As I walked, I somehow tripped on something and the video ended there._

The living room was quiet for a little while until everyone but Hotaru, Natsume, Youichi, and I burst into laughter.

"What was the meaning of that video?" Koko asked, laughing.

"I don't know, but I never knew Mikan used to be THAT clumsy!" Anna laughed.

"It isn't even funny" I grumbled getting up and walking to another box to pack.

Natsume walked behind me and hugged me. "I agree."

I twirled around and hugged Natsume, smiling and happy that he is on my side. I kissed him on the lips, showing him how happy I am. Koko and the guys made wolf whistles as Permy and the girls squealed. I pulled back, blushing because of the attention Natsume and I got. It's kind of embarrassing.

Natsume, seeing how uncomfortable I got even though he really wanted to kiss me again, leaned down to my ear and whispered "We'll continue this later when we're alone."

That statement was enough to make me blush and make butterflies flutter around my stomach. Natsume continued to hug me even though I was trying to pack stuff as the others were watching my home videos. I tried my best to ignore their laughter and Natsume's rare chuckle and just kept packing.

By the time it was 5, I had packed up most of the living room into two different piles: keep and don't keep. The others were no help at all; especially Natsume. He pretty much just slowed me down! He kept on hugging me and wouldn't let me go. Not that I'm complaining; no, I actually liked it. It's just a symbol that he doesn't want to let me go.

Everyone left. Well, everyone except for Natsume, of course. Natsume and I watched everyone off, waving to them as we stood at the door. I heard little snippets of their conversation; words like "look" and "married couple" and "honeymoon". I wonder what that's all about.

Once they were out of sight, Natsume suddenly pinned me to the door frame, not bothering to go inside and just left the door wide open.

"Na-Natsume?" I stuttered, blushing as he slowly made his face go closer to mine.

"We're finishing what you started earlier" he stated, giving me a sweet kiss.

A few minutes later, we pulled away, breathing heavily and blushing. And then, there was applause. What the…

Natsume and I looked at the street and found all of our neighbors clapping? What the hell! This is scary! I noticed Natsume smirk. Oh no, this can't be good…

Natsume turned to me and gave me a fierce kiss. I was wide eyed and completely shocked. I felt my face burn as I felt Natsume lick my lips. And then, to finish the show, he dragged me into the house, closing the door behind him. The both of us slumped to the ground, and Natsume pulled away from me.

We were both breathing heavily as we listened to the cheers from our neighbors. Gosh, they're such perverts. Well, Natsume did just broadcast his weirdness to all of them.

"W-what was t-the point of doing th-that?" I stuttered my question to Natsume.

Natsume shrugged. "It seemed fun."

I playfully hit Natsume's shoulder lightly. "That's so weird!"

"Oh, just admit it; you liked it too."

I blushed furiously, looking away. I know he's right; it's written on my face. Geez, he's such a jerk; an intelligent one at that. Natsume smirked and pushed me gently until I was lying on the ground. Then, he gave me a long, sweet kiss, symbolizing how much he cares. I couldn't help but kiss him back, loving the way his hand caressed my cheeks.

We pulled apart, red and panting. Natsume got up first, helping me stand after he was situated on his own two feet. The both of us started looking over the rest of the house, packing things into boxes and sorting them into piles. And, of course, the pile that was for keeps was way, WAY smaller than that of the pile for give aways.

I am keeping only special things that hold very precious memories with my parents. By the time it was 9, Natsume and I had cleared out half of the downstairs area. I guess we'll work on the rest tomorrow. Natsume and I headed upstairs, going to our respective bathrooms and getting ready for bed.

When I got to my room, I saw Natsume lying on the bed, reading his manga. I ran and jumped into the bed, wrapping my arms around his waist. Natsume seemed shocked, but immediately hugged me back, chuckling a bit.

"Do you think we'll be able to start on packing up here by the end of tomorrow?" Natsume asked me, reaching to turn off the lamp.

As the light flickered off, I replied "Maybe if you help me instead of making it harder, yeah we can."

"Okay. I'll be good" Natsume nuzzled into my hair.

I could feel his breath on my neck, making the hairs on my neck stand up. I shivered slightly as Natsume kissed my neck.

"G'night" he drawled, his hold on my waist tighter.

"Good night" I replied, letting my eyes flutter shut and allowing sleep to overtake me.

I woke up to no Natsume. He isn't here, just a piece of paper on the pillow right next to my face. I sat up slowly, grabbing the piece of paper and opened it up. I read it really quickly, wondering what was written on it.

Good morning Polka-dots,

I'm guessing that you're awake now, if you are reading this. I just went to my house really quick to talk to my parents. I won't be long; just a few minutes. So, just hold on. I'll be back in a few. I love you.

Love,

Natsume

I smiled and set the paper down on my bedside table, laughing to myself. He's such a jerk.

I got up and got ready for the day. Then, I went downstairs and started making a breakfast for me and Natsume once he comes back. And this gave me some time to think. As I fried some bacon and cooked eggs and rice, I thought of how hard it will be when I have to leave. I know very well that it is very hard to sustain a long distance relationship, no matter how strong the love. I sighed; I really hope that this will all work out…

"Mikan, I'm home!" I heard as the front door opened.

I laughed out loud as Natsume sauntered into view, grinning like a maniac. I love the way he just came in and said that. That's something I would love to hear when I grow up and have a family of my own: Natsume coming in and greeting me. Ah, good thoughts.

"You know" Natsume drawled, coming over to my side and wrapping his arms around my waist, "I like the way that sounded."

"Haha! Me too" I giggled, giving Natsume a peck on the lips before I started cooking again.

Natsume decided to leave me be, helping me with clearing the counter a bit and grabbing a few dishes, seeing that I needed to take our food off the stove. When it was all done, the both of us sat down at the table next to each other and ate our breakfast. Natsume took the first bite, chewing it slowly as if trying to find out what he should rate it.

"Five stars" Natsume grinned at me, taking another bite.

I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Then, I took my first bite of my food. Hmm, it's gotten better than last time! I'm improving in my skills! Yes!

"So what are we going to do?" Natsume asked.

"Well, we might as well go and pack up some of my stuff again. I'm going to be leaving in less than a month, so I need to hurry" I replied somewhat timidly.

Natsume's expression darkened a bit. "Oh…. I almost forgot.."

"I'm sorry, Natsume…"

"Nah, it's alright. Let's pack?"

I smiled slightly, nodding. The both of us stood up and cleared the table and cleaned all the things I used to cook. Then, we got to work.

First, we decided that we will fix up the downstairs first. Then, the upstairs hallway, and after that, my Mom and Dad's room. We would pack up my room last, seeing that most of my possessions were in there that were going to come with me to Grandpa's.

It didn't take long for us to fix up the downstairs. We decided that instead of staying in this house, I will stay in Natsume's house until I had to leave. So, we pack everything nicely and wrapped all the fragile things in cloth before putting them in boxes labeled 'fragile'. Of course, we hadn't gotten rid of the couch or the T.V. or the big stuff yet. I'm too young to sell them.

"Here, why don't we get my parents to do so?" Natsume offered me.

"That's a great idea!" I mused, clapping my hands happily.

So, Natsume left really quick to get his parents. And once they came, they immediately started getting measurements and taking pictures and such to put them up on sale on the internet. So, as they did that, Natsume and I went upstairs to start clearing the hallways. There wasn't much, just picture frames hanging on the walls. And just like all the other pictures that I had found earlier, Natsume and I took the pictures out and placed them on my bed in my room.

We gave the picture frames to Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran to sell. Then, we decided to give them all the stuff that I wanted to get rid of. Even though it seemed like a lot, they still said, "This will be a piece of cake!" Oh, I hope it is.

Natsume and I then went up to my parents' room and started packing there. And of course, we packed the lamps and books and stuff. When we got to the clothes, things got kind of…. awkward.

"I don't feel comfortable going through your parents clothes" Natsume told me, a nonchalant look on his face.

"You don't have to pack this stuff with me you know" I replied.

"But, I wanna help you" Natsume said, patting my head.

"Umm" I looked around the room. "Why don't you go and take the sheets off the bed?"

"No, I don't think I can do that either…"

"Why not?"

"Who knows what they've done in that bed."

It took a few moments for that comment to sink in. "Ewwww! Natsume! You're so gross!"

"Hey, that's what grown ups do. How do you think you were born?"

"Gee, thanks for those disturbing mental images of my parents that I could have surely lived without for my whole life" I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome" Natsume grinned.

"Just get back to work" I sighed.

"Yes ma'am" Natsume saluted, kneeling next to me to help me pack.

Downstairs, I heard Auntie and Uncle chuckling.

**~Chapter 24 End~**

Yes, I'm alive! Don't worry, I just got really ill this past week, missing most of the week of school. I missed three days, I repeat, THREE DAYS of school! And I was out all of today and all I did was sleep. Yeah, it sucked. The flu sucks. Being sick sucks! Bleh!

Well, anywho, I would like to say thank you to all those who have reviewed and/or added me to their alerts/faves! Those people are…

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Thank you once more! One more thing: I will be posting City of Runaways tomorrow if I have the strength and time! So, please be patient! Thank you all! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	25. Chapter 25

Hey, so I'm back! I hope you all will like this chapter! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters! They both belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the randomly made up characters and my story plots! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Heheh…)

"Just get back to work" I sighed.

"Yes ma'am" Natsume saluted, kneeling next to me to help me pack.

Downstairs, I heard Auntie and Uncle chuckling.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 25~**

~Mikan's POV~

Soon enough, the whole house was finished being packed. I noticed that it was actually late at night that we finished and that Natsume and I had skipped both lunch and dinner. Natsume stretched and rubbed his back.

"I'm hungry and tired. Let's go to my place" he said.

I laughed. "Okay, let's go."

Natsume and I had already packed up my room too. I am truly amazed that we were able to do so much in only one day. Natsume and I had already packed up everything into boxes and packed all my things in to my suit case. Apparently, he had no hesitation to help me pack my clothes; that pervert.

When we got to the Hyuuga residence, we found that they had made us dinner. Natsume and I ate our share, telling Natsume's parents about what was done and what needed to be done. Natsume and I will be helping them to sell some stuff tomorrow. They want to put up a garage sale. Wow, Natsume and I are missing a lot of school. Oh well, Natsume's parents are fine with it.

_Time skip_

My house is completely empty; nothing is in there. The garage sale was a complete success. Now, the house is up on sale now. I'll be leaving soon too. I only have three days left with everyone. We're all on break now, spring break. Natsume and I are all caught up on our class work and stuff. We know what we have to do when we get back to school.

So now, all we have to do is have fun until the last day until I have to leave! I will be leaving by plane and I will meet my grandfather in Kyoto airport. I wish that this didn't need to happen…

I shook my head, stopping my thoughts there. I don't need to be thinking about this stuff! It's not good for me. I just need to enjoy my time here.

Currently, Anna, Nonoko, Hotaru, Koko, Kitsu, Hiro, Yuu, Misaki-senpai, Tsubasa-senpai, Tono-senpai, Ruka-pyon, Youichi, and I are at the mall in Central Town. We are just looking around; you know, window shopping.

I was looking into a window when I found Luna coming my way. Quickly, I looked around for the rest of them, but I remembered that Natsume went to the bathroom and that the others had wanted to go into this weird store that is totally vulgar and I didn't want to go into it. Great, I'm all alone.

"Hey, Sakura" Luna said, coming to me and glaring at me. "Don't tell me that you're still going to be holding onto Natsume even if you are moving."

"Of course I am" I replied, confident. "Natsume and I are going to keep a long distance relationship."

"It's not a good idea, you know. You could be holding him down if you do that." Luna drawled.

"N-no, I won't."

"Ah, but you're wrong at that." Luna walked to me and put an arm around my shoulder, giving me a pitiful look. "If you keep holding him down with your relationship, he'll never go anywhere with his life. If you love him, then you'd let him go. Or, are you so selfish that you don't care that Natsume may want to travel too and be free as well?"

"M-Mikan?" I heard Natsume call. I looked to him, eyes wide.

Natsume came over to me and hugged me, glaring at Luna. "Go away Koizumi."

"Just think about what I said…Mikan." And with that, she walked off, twirling her hair.

I turned to look at Natsume. Will I really be dragging him down with our relationship? Is it really a good idea for us to keep a long distance relationship? Will it all really be okay? Is he really okay with it?

Natsume looked at me and noticed me staring. He gave me a smile and kissed me on the head. "Whatever she said, she was wrong."

I faked a smile for him. If Natsume noticed, he said nothing. He just led me away to a whole bunch of random shops. We stopped at the Howalon store. Natsume bought me a box. Smiling, I accepted it; of course! It's my favorite candy! I shared it with Natsume, feeding it to him once in a while. But, I couldn't help but think about what Luna had said. Maybe she is right.

"Natsume" I called. He looked at me and nodded for me to continue. "I…I want to go to the park…Can we?"

Natsume smiled at me and nodded. "Just wait here, I will let everyone else know."

Once he disappeared, I started walking away, going towards the park. I didn't say hi to anyone even though they kept on calling. I just ignored the world, walking to my destination. I don't know why Luna's words mean so much to me. I mean, I would never have been like this before…would I? Well, I don't know, but I don't know why I feel this way. All Luna's words before seemed as if they were insignificant. I didn't care about them. But now, Luna makes total sense. I can't believe that she turned smart!

I rounded the last corner to the Sakura tree, sitting down at its trunk and closing my eyes. I took a deep breath before I opened my eyes once more. It's gotten to be high noon, the hottest point of the day. Since it had turned spring, there had been lots of hot days. I am wearing shorts and a white, puffy tank top. Meh, none of that matters. I have to think about this situation!

If I keep Natsume in our relationship, it would be hard for long distance. It would be difficult due to the fact that we won't be seeing each other for who knows how long. I don't know how we will be able to visit each other once in a while. It's not like I can bother grandpa into having us take a road trip or getting a plane ticket. Its either it takes too long and it's strenuous or it is too much of a cost. It's not going to be easy for that.

And what if Natsume wants to travel? If he does, it would be even harder to keep contact with each other! Natsume might even think of me as a nuisance. But, I do know that if we were truly meant for each other, then our absence in our lives would make each other long to see each other more. But, that is such a small percentage. How many people that you have known and had a friend that moved away was able to keep in touch so much that you are practically there in their lives then and there? None; just as I have. I don't think that it is possible for us to maintain a relationship together when I move.

So it's settled: I have to break up with Natsume…

"Mikan!" I heard a familiar voice call.

Turning around, I saw Natsume looking at me with worried eyes.

"Why did you run off?" he asked me, sitting down next to me. "I thought you were kidnapped or something."

"I just had to…think" I replied, looking at my lap.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of us. It's going to be hard. I don't want to break up with him. But, it will have to happen eventually. If I keep on holding him down, then it would be harder. Then, he'd grow to hate me.

I turned to look at Natsume. He looks so peaceful, his eyes closed and the wind blowing around him. I can't just…do it. I can't just break his heart. It would hurt him and me too much. I don't want to…but I have to!

No, I don't have to; not right now. Just when I leave, I will have to do this. I have to in order to make him truly happy. You know the saying: if you love someone, let them go and if you were meant for each other, they will come back. Sigh, I just really hope that saying is true.

"Mikan?" I heard Natsume call. I turned to look at him. He had a concerned look on his face as he looked into my eyes. "Are you okay? You seem…troubled."

"…I'm fine" I answered him, trying hard not to cry.

"Are you sure?" Natsume pushed. "You seem as if you're about to cry."

I whimpered a bit, but swallowed it all down. "No, I'm fine. But thanks for asking."

I flashed Natsume the biggest smile I could manage. And, I guess it worked because Natsume smiled back and pulled me into a hug. I can't believe I set my mind to breaking up with him. It's going to hurt; I know. But somehow, I know that it's all going to be okay. I just have to spend as much time with Natsume before I go.

After a few hours of sitting underneath the tree, Natsume and I decided to head over to his house for some really late lunch. I feel a bit better. Sitting with Natsume always calms me down. The two of us strolled down the street, making our way to his house. Once we got there, Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran greeted us with their usual smiles. I also noticed that Misaki-senpai came home too.

"Hey, Mikan!" Misaki-senpai greeted. "We were wondering what happened to you. Natsume just told us you two were leaving and ran off. What's up?"

I just shook my head and gave her a smile. "I'm good. Nothing happened, really."

Misaki-senpai gave me a suspicious look but later nodded. I guess she has to buy my lie because there's no other explanation. We all had lunch and I excused myself to take a nap…in Natsume's room.

~Natsume's POV~

As soon as Mikan went upstairs, I turned to look at my family. Honestly, when Mikan said she was alright, I didn't buy anything. What does she take me for, an idiot? Or maybe she doesn't want to worry us. It's most likely that option. But why is Mikan acting so weird? When I found Koizumi talking to her, I knew that something bad was going to happen. And it did happen. I just don't know what. She wouldn't tell me in the Sakura tree; she just dismissed it and tried her best to smile. I could tell that she wanted to cry. But, she showed just how strong she was by not crying. I am honestly proud of Mikan; she's such a strong girl. But I know that within every seemingly strong person, there is a breaking point. And I know that that breaking point in Mikan is about to be hit. She's going to snap, I know it.

I gave my family a concerned look. And guess what? I was greeted back with the same look I was giving off. I sighed and closed my eyes, rubbing my temples with my fingers.

"What are we going to do?" I asked. "Mikan's acting weird. I'm sure it has something to do with that Koizumi."

"What did she do?" Misaki asked.

I shook my head. "That's the thing: I don't know. Mikan wouldn't tell me and I couldn't hear their conversation."

"It has to be that" Mom said. "I'm pretty sure Koizumi said something to throw Mikan off. What else would it be?"

"Koizumi probably did something to make Mikan think" Dad muttered. "She probably made Mikan feel bad about something."

"I can tell this isn't going to end well" Misaki said.

All of a sudden, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know for a fact that something really big between Mikan and I is going to happen by the time Mikan leaves. And I know that it is not going to be a good thing.

Once we were done with that conversation, I decided to excuse myself. I made my way to my room to check up on Mikan. I opened the door quietly and peeked in. Mikan looks so peaceful when she sleeps. She looked as if there were nothing bad in the world; like there was nothing to worry about.

I made my way to Mikan's side, sitting down next to Mikan on the bed. I just don't know what happened. What could Koizumi have said to Mikan to make her worry so much. It seems as if it's to ruin something. Koizumi was always jealous of Mikan. She's always been trying to get my attention too. What the hell? Is that Koizumi trying to break Mikan and I apart? That bitch!

I had a hard time keeping my anger in check. I don't want Mikan to wake up and see me like this either. So, I swiftly stood up without waking Mikan and quietly snuck out of the room. I closed the doors lightly, letting my anger seep out slowly. I quickly ran out of the house and into the backyard. And once I was there, I punched the wall.

What? I can't help it! I have all this built up anger in me and I have to release it somehow!

That stupid Koizumi! She freaking makes me wanna kill someone! Mostly, I want to kill her. Heh, if only I can do so. But if I do, I would be charged for murder. No one would listen to my views of that stupid Koizumi though. Many people would agree, but she's still human; an evil, disastrous, she-hag human.

Okay, stop thinking about this! It's only going to make things worse! If I don't think about it, then maybe everyone will forget about it. If I can actually make Mikan forget about all this crap, then maybe she'd stop acting all depressed and be happy again!

"Na-Natsume?" I heard someone call.

Turning around, I found the subject of my thoughts: Mikan. She walked over to me, rubbing her eyes cutely. I walked over to her side, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"Natsume, what happened to your hand?" Mikan asked.

"What do you…?" I looked down to my hand and noticed the blood seeping out of a cut on my hand. "Oh, that…"

"Come on, let's get this fixed" Mikan led me into the house and made me sit on the couch.

She immediately left to go find the first aid kit as my parents started fawning over my cut.

"Cut it out Mom, Dad. I'm fine" I sighed, shaking my head.

"But it looks bad" Mom said.

"And it is bleeding a lot" Dad stated.

"It's nothing" I drawled out once more. Geez, these people worry too much.

"It isn't 'nothing'" Mikan said, coming over to my side. As she started to fix my cut, she looked up to me. "It is actually pretty serious. What did you do to make your hand like this?"

I hesitated. What would she say if I told her the truth? But, what if she already knows and is just trying to figure out if I trust or love her enough to tell her what really happened. Okay, maybe I should just tell her.

"I punched the wall" I shrugged.

"WHAT?" Mom, Dad, Mikan, and Misaki practically screamed.

"Why the hell would you do something as stupid as that?" Misaki asked.

"Are you trying to hurt yourself?" Dad asked.

"You are an idiot" Mikan sighed. "Do you know that you can actually really hurt yourself doing stuff like that?"

"Hn. I didn't know it would be that bad" I said.

All of a sudden, my family along with Mikan started yelling and scolding me. Heh, I looked at Mikan to see a worried expression on her face. At least I got Mikan to stop thinking about whatever Koizumi said.

**~Chapter 25 End~**

Wooh, it's done! I hope you all liked it! Well, I'd like to thank you all for the reviews and/or adding me to your faves/alerts! And those people are….

Chocola2711

anime-lover-addicted

chiutane13

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Rinchan24

Kylee-Cat

IllutiaDark

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

.d0

anim3gurl

Iris petals

Muzikchic4eva

Once again, I would like to thank all of you! I will have to be going now! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D


	26. Chapter 26

I'm soooooooooo sorry! OMG, I didn't mean to lie to you all about my update! I SWEAR! It's just that my dad and sister were big fat meanies and hogged the computer and I wasn't able to get to it until now. And so, I hope that all of you will be able to forgive me! D:

Anywho, let's get this party started! :D

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters! They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own my made up characters, such as Hiro, and this story plot line! And, just let you know, this chapter willl be short… SORRY!

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 26~**

~Mikan's POV~

This is it; today's the day. It is finally the time when I will be moving in with my Jii-chan to Kyoto. I really hoped that this day wouldn't come. I was just too….scared. I know what I have to do. And it really hurts me that I will have to do it. I don't want to break Natsume's heart! He's the most wonderful, magical miracle that has ever happened to me! I can't….. I don't want to loose him….

But that stupid Koizumi is right; if I try to keep our relationship, I may be bringing him down. And, from past rumors and experiences, that maintaining a long distance relationship will be hard. It may not even happen. Now this really sucks…

But, you know, it's not impossible. There is a slim, very slim chance that it may happen; that we may be able to pull through. But, the chance is uber slim. It may not even happen. B-but, there's this awesome saying that I totally believe in! My Mom had told me about it long ago. She said, "If you love someone, then let them go; if they truly are meant to be with you, then they will come back". I have complete faith in that saying. I'm just not sure if this will happen to me. It's a very, VERY slim chance as I've said before. Sigh, I really hope we are meant to be.

The past few days have been wonderful; Natsume has paid so much attention to me, it's like….. SOOOO SWEET! I love him for that! He makes me feel so wanted; so needed! He always knows just what to do for me to cheer up! Honestly, he's the sweetest guy that I've ever known! Oh, I hope he knows how much I love him!

And guess what? All that he's doing is making things all the harder for me! I mean, it's no fair! I swear that I think I'm hurting more than he will be! But, how will I break up with him…? Yeah, that's the big question. Should I just up and say "hey, let's break up"? No, that's just stupid. He might not take it seriously. He has to take it seriously though! Gosh, this is going to be harder than I thought…

I need a plan…. Yeah, a plan! And a really good one too! So, how's it going to be like? How should I plan this out? Oh well, it will happen the way it happens. Maybe… when we get to the airport, I'll break it to him and just run off without letting him respond? Well, I think that's better than telling him and just standing there as if I wanted a small chat. Yeah. When they call my flight, I break it to him. He's going to be waiting with me anyways. Oh Natsume, I'm so sorry…

I sighed as I came back to the real world. I'm in Gakuen Alice right now, uniform and all. We're having a huge goodbye party for me. But honestly, even though it's supposed to make me happier, I really feel like crap now. This is making everything worse. I'll just end up missing everyone even more!

I watched as everyone tried to make me smile, make me laugh. But, honestly, it doesn't help at all. All I can do is watch everyone with either a sad expression or a neutral one. I don't like to. I want to leave everyone with a smile on my face. But, with what I'm going to have to do later on, I don't think I'll be able to.

I just looked out to window and sighed. No, I don't like to ignore my friends. But, I just can't help it. And what's making me feel so bad is that everyone would go to this level just to make me smile. Oh, they're going to be the ones I miss the most! I suddenly noticed that even Hotaru was trying to cheer me up! She's definitely my best friend!

I looked to them and gave them the best smile I could muster. But, I could tell that they didn't really bu6y the fact that I was even the tiniest bit 'happy'. But, I guess they were at least a little bit satisfied that I smiled. I might as well join the party. If I don't, all their hard work will go to waste! I don't want to do that!

The party lasted all day. Yup, in every single class, we had a party! I honestly couldn't help but enjoy this fact. I didn't have to do any boring class work! Even Jinno-sensei gave us a party! But, maybe it's a celebration that I'm leaving and he's happy that I won't be attending Gakuen Alice anymore starting tomorrow. Yeah, that's most likely it. What a jerk!

Throughout the whole day, I hung out with my friends all that I could! I made sure to especially hang out with Natsume. This is the last day. After this, we'll let fate decide everything. I won't be able to see him. And, after I leave, I'm not sure if he'll even want to see me. Gosh, this can't be good.

"Hey, Mikan!" Koko called, his smiling face never fading. "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing" I replied.

"I know you're lying." He said. "You are a terrible liar."

"Shut up!" I laughed for the first time today.

"But it's true!" he defended.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"So why are you acting like this?"

"Huh?"

Koko looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to our conversation. I noticed that all our friends, including Natsume, were at the other side of the class room, looking at the teacher as if they were talking to him. Koko then pulled me to the far corner of the room where no one was. His facial expression turned very serious. I think I like the laid back, always smiling Koko better….

"I think you know what I mean."

"No, actually, I don't" I told him bluntly.

Koko sweat dropped at my statement. "O-okay then."

"So what do you mean?"

"Oh, right. Well, you and I both know that you would try to make your last day here the best. Right now, you're just sulking around. It's so not the Mikan I know. Something is definitely up."

Wow. He's got me. I gave him an amused yet thankful grin. "You know me well Koko. I'm proud!"

"Haha! There you go! Now, just be the happiest you can be now! Worry about things later! And trust me: things will turn out for the better."

My eyes widened at his statement. I think… I think he knows something that I don't. Or, just maybe, he read my mind He has this weird, uncanny ability to be able to read my mind. I don't know why. It's just so weird.

"…D-do you…?" I couldn't ask him. It's just….what?

"Yeah. And let me tell you, Koizumi isn't the best person to take advice from. But, on this one, she's kind of…. right. But, I never want too take her side so let's just say she's an idiot who doesn't know what she's talking about but she makes a lot of sense some times but is still totally wrong."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"W-wait, you lost me…"

"Let's just say I know that she's wrong."

"What do you mean? Can you, like, predict the future or something?"

"Hey, you never know…"

"Please don't leave me hanging with that pause. It's, honestly, kind of creepy." I laughed.

"I'm glad you're having fun!" Koko laughed as well. "Now let's go party!"

The both of us pumped our fists in the air as we made our way to the center of the class room. Everyone seemed so overjoyed to see me smiling the way I was. It was evident that Natsume was especially because he swept me up in his arms and gave me a big kiss.

Oh, my head. I was so light headed! I hope he knows how he makes me feel! He takes my breath away. I sighed. Saying good bye's gonna be hard…

NO! I will NOT think of this! No way! Not until the time I have to go! That's it! I'm going to enjoy the time I have left here and not think about leaving until the very hour. Then, I can worry all I want. Yeah, that's great!

I laughed as I joined in with all of the fun. I should enjoy this day to the fullest! After all, this is my last day here in this school, in this city.

~Natsume's POV~

I'm really worried about her. Trust me, I am. And I am positive that it has to do with Koizumi. I honestly wonder why this has happened to me. Mikan is everything to me! I highly doubt that my life is worth anything unless she is with my by my side! Why is Mikan leaving? Does the world hate me that much?

Of course, I've moved many times. And my family and I didn't think that we'd be moving so this would be our last stay. But, just as we had settled in, just when I had found Mikan, everything just had to go crashing down. Why does this happen to me?

The bell, signaling the end of the day rang and I led Mikan, by hand, to the car where my parents were waiting with her luggage so that we could drop Mikan off.

As we walked, I relished the fact that Mikan and I were holding hands. I won't be able to feel Mikan's soft hands at all after this. Well, at least not for a long time. I swear, that time will be hell.

When we got there, I noticed that Misaki was there. It's so weird. Usually, we'd be the first ones to the gate. Oh well, nothing matters now. Mikan and I scrambled into the car and Mom and Dad started driving off towards the airport.

I noticed Mikan was slightly tensed. And each second that we came closer to the airport, she tensed even more. Okay, now I'm really worried. But what can I say? Nobody in the car was talking. The atmosphere in here is very uncomfortable. I don't think it's a good idea to say anything now. But…

Soon enough, we reached the airport. Mom and Dad got out of the car along with me, Mikan, and Misaki. They got Mikan's luggage out and hugged her before they handed it off to her.

"Thank you all so much. I have no idea how to repay you…" Mikan said. She looked as if she wanted to say something to me, the way she was looking at me pointedly.

"Can I….walk Mikan to her flight….alone?" I asked.

Mom and Dad gave me a sad look and nodded. I smiled a bit in thanks and grabbed Mikan's hand and suitcase, leading her to her plane.

It took a few minutes for us to get through everything. It wasn't really busy in the airport. Now that is surprising. I would think it would be super busy. Oh well, it can't be helped. It's not like I'm complaining.

Mikan's flight hadn't been called yet, so we stood next to the entrance in silence. Mikan looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with me. What's wrong? Did I…did I do something?

"Mikan….did you want to say something? You know….back there?" I asked a bit hesitantly.

Mikan bit her lip. And, while not making eye contact, she started her sentence: "Natsume….I-"

"_Attention all passengers: the next flight to Kyoto is now ready to board. Please make your way to the entrance gate. Thank you!"_ The announcer sounded.

Now, Mikan looked as if she were about to cry. I stepped closer to her and caressed her cheek. It hurts to see her like this…

"Mikan, what's-"

"Natsume, let's break up." Mikan interrupted.

My eyes widened at her request. What? W-what is she thinking? Why's she….?

"M-Mikan, what-"

"I don't think that we should be a couple anymore." Mikan said. I just stared at her. "Good bye."

Mikan quickly grabbed her suitcase and made her way to the gate. I was frozen in spot. I couldn't move. And no matter how much I wanted to run after I couldn't.

Mikan looked back at me before she disappeared behind the corner to her plane. And as the announcer announced that her plane had just taken off, I felt my heart into a million pieces.

**~Chapter 26 End~**

Well, that was depressing…

Anyways, I hope you all like this! I worked hard~! And sorry for the late update! I'm a horrible author!

Thank you all for reading this far into this fanfiction! I love you all! And I really do appreciate all your reviews! I am truly the luckiest author on earth to have such awesome readers like you! You guys are cool! :D

Well, I have to go now! Chow! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off!


	27. Chapter 27

Sorry! I haven't updated in such a long time! But here you go! The next chapter is up for reads! Oh, and I am done with my STAR Tests! And I have a great feeling that I did well on them! Well, just to let you know, once I finish this story, I'll not only start on the sequel to Outside the Gates (just to let you know, that will be a pretty short sequel just so that you guys won't be too bored), but I will also be starting making stories for different stuff that I am totally and utterly obsessed with! Just look out for that! Oh, and yes, I changed my name to xXPaintingRealityXx. I thought it was easier to remember; not only that, but it's awesome! Anywho, I must be boring you! :P On with the story! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters! They belong to the brilliant Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story plot!

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(since it has been a while since my last update…)

"_Attention all passengers: the next flight to Kyoto is now ready to board. Please make your way to the entrance gate. Thank you!"_ The announcer sounded.

Now, Mikan looked as if she were about to cry. I stepped closer to her and caressed her cheek. It hurts to see her like this…

"Mikan, what's-"

"Natsume, let's break up." Mikan interrupted.

My eyes widened at her request. What? W-what is she thinking? Why's she….?

"M-Mikan, what-"

"I don't think that we should be a couple anymore." Mikan said. I just stared at her. "Good bye."

Mikan quickly grabbed her suitcase and made her way to the gate. I was frozen in spot. I couldn't move. And no matter how much I wanted to run after I couldn't.

Mikan looked back at me before she disappeared behind the corner to her plane. And as the announcer announced that her plane had just taken off, I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 27~**

~Natsume's POV~

I stood there for a few more moments, stunned. Did I just hear right? It felt as if my heart had shattered, been put back together, then squished, and then right after that, thrown into a pool of hot acid. I could feel the tears collecting in my eyes, sending a hot, prickly sensation through my eyes. My vision became blurry as the tears overflowed.

"Natsume?" I heard my Mom call.

I turned around, my face portraying no emotion; just tears rolling down my cheeks.

My mother, along with Misaki and Dad, came running to my side, asking me what was wrong. I was quiet for a moment or two; probably a couple of minutes. I stared at the ground until the trio finally quieted down. And then, I looked up at them, eyes glassy and finally answered their questions:

"Mikan…..she broke up…with me…" My voice sounded hoarse, cracking as I spoke. I swear I have never sounded like this in my life.

The three of them stared at me in disbelief, eyes wide and mouths agape. It seemed as if they couldn't digest the fact that Mikan had broken up with me.

I sighed and looked down, heading my way towards the car. Eventually, the three followed me and let me think in peace. The car ride was quiet; no one of us broke the silence. I guess it was all just too tense to do so. But, I don't care. I looked out the window, watching the scenery pass me by. And the place where my heart should be, felt like a big, gaping hole, laughing at me as if rubbing cruel reality in my face; a big hole where my heart was ripped out.

As soon as we got home, I locked myself up in my room, ignoring the worried Ruka and curious glances all my friends, who were gathered outside, were giving me. I pulled the seat from my desk and sat at the window, perching my chin on my fist. I stared out the window, zoning out in a way that is so not me. I just can't believe what happened.

"_Natsume, let's break up."_

Her words rang in my head over and over again; like a record player. And every time in rang, I felt a pang in my heart. I couldn't hold back the hot tears pouring out of my eyes. Her words….they just hurt too much!

"_Natsume, let's break up."_

I thought of every time I held her in my arms; every kiss I had shared with her; the warm and fuzzy feeling only she could make me feel.

"_Natsume, let's break up."_

I looked over to my bed and noticed the messy sheets. I stood up, my legs walking me over to the bed's edge. Once I was there, I flopped down onto it, face first. I breathed in Mikan's scent which still lingered in the sheets. Just this morning, she was with me, in my arms, waking up to another day together; our last day together.

"_Natsume, let's break up."_

Her smell was intoxicating. I couldn't get enough of it. But, just remembering her made my heart ache. I felt my tears flowing out of my eyes, staining my pillow with its heat. I smelled how Mikan and my scents mixed. Her strawberry shampoo still able to be smelled after a whole day's worth of not coming in contact with her silky hair. I really miss the way she fit perfectly in my arms.

"_Natsume, let's break up."_

And then, I snapped.

"Why?" I yelled, punching the wall next to my bed.

I felt a sharp pain in my hand, followed by a sticky, wet feeling lacing through my fingers. I ignored it and hopped off the bed and started pacing the room.

Why would Mikan do this? She couldn't have come up with this on her own now could she? I don't think that Mikan wanted to do it. But it wasn't right for her to just go and break my heart like that! That was the most inconsiderate thing that anyone would have ever done in the history of Earth itself!

….But, I know very well that Mikan is the most considerate human being alive. She couldn't have come up with the idea to break up with me alone.

I felt my hand start to sting. But it wasn't as bad as the hole in my chest that was supposed to be my heart. I ignored the feeling and slumped down in the chair next to the window.

Then how did she come up with that ridiculous idea?

…Wait.

Could it have been…?

It has to be. She's the only one who has been close to Mikan other than our friends for the past month. And I know for sure that the others wouldn't go to such levels as to hurt us; Mikan and I that is.

It has to have been her fault: Luna Koizumi.

~Mikan's POV~

I rounded the corner, disappearing from Natsume's sight. I wanted to run back; to tell him that I was sorry and I didn't mean all that I said. I wanted to beg for forgiveness; to pull him into the most passionate of kisses he would ever experience in all of his life. I wanted our parting to not be so heart breaking; so cruel and untrue. I wanted us to stay together. But I didn't want to burden him; to drag him down and keep him with me when he may want to just spread his wings and fly his distances to find himself.

I looked down at my feet, fighting the urge to cry. I will not cry. I brought this onto myself. It's all my fault that everything ended up this way. There's no turning back now.

I sat down in my seat. It was a window seat all the way in the back of the plane. I looked out to window, ignoring all the concerned looks I got from the passengers and flight attendants around me.

I don't want pity; I don't deserve it after what I have done to Natsume. I highly doubt he'll ever forgive me. I don't think that he'll ever even accept me as a friend if I were to go back. This fact broke my heart once more. More tears rolled down my cheeks as the pilot of the plane initiated take off.

Here we go, I thought, there's no turning back now. I can't say sorry; I can't see his face; I can't kiss those perfect lips of his anymore.

I wish I had just been joking about all of that. But really, I hadn't. I only want him to be happy… even though I'm not.

We are high up in the sky, flying over buildings and grasslands and such. The scenery changing every few seconds kept me from drifting my thoughts back to Natsume. But it didn't help that much. Soon, clouds were beneath us and I couldn't see the ground. I am, obviously, on my way to start thinking about… him.

Great, not I can't even think his name. I don't think I will be able to say his name again. I can't believe how stupid I was! How could I just break up with him without asking him about what he wants; about what he thought would be the best for us? I can't believe how stupid I am!

Luna has been trying to ruin my life ever since we started schooling. She's hated me from the start! How could I just think that she was right?

_Well, she was… partially_, part of me thought. _She's right about him not being able to fly freely without me being in his way and holding him down._

_But what if he didn't WANT to fly?_ Another part of me questioned. _What if he didn't want to let go? You do know that this kind of thing works both ways, right?_

I hadn't thought of that…

But I guess…. It's too late now. I already deleted my number off of Natsume's phone along with his on mine.

I know, stupid thing to do, right? Way to go Mikan! You just made the two most horrible mistakes in your life! Aren't you happy?

I sighed, feeling completely horrible. I'm exhausted and all I've done today was party and… do the most stupid think a human being could do. I'm such a nit wit. I can't believe….

Those were the last thoughts before I fell asleep.

I woke up to a flight attendant shaking me gently, trying to wake me up. I looked up at her with drowsy eyes, confused by the thought of someone waking me from a much needed nap. Then, I realized that I was still on the plane and all the other passengers have left. I was the only one on board.

"Excuse me miss but you'll have to go now" the lady told me, giving me a gentle smile.

I tried to smile back at her, but I guess that it wasn't even close. She gave me a concerned look, like all the others, but didn't comment on it. She helped me up and handed me my carry on bag.

"Have a nice day!" she said, waving as I walked down the isle.

"Thank you" I replied, flashing her the best smile I could.

When I exited the gates, I immediately went to baggage claim and picked up my suit cases. I rolled them out of the airport and tried to look for my grandfather. I know what he looks like; he visited quite a few times when I was younger, when mom and dad were still alive.

I shook the thought off and continued my search. Then, I spotted him with his slightly tanned skin with a smile on his face, waving. I smiled back and weaved my way though the crowd toward him.

Each step I took felt like a weight had laid itself upon me. And when I got closer, I had the urge to cry and run to him. And that I did. I ran to him and once I was next to him, dropped my bags and tacked him with a hug, practically crying my eyes out.

He just sighed and rubbed my back soothingly in small circles. He whispered in my ear, telling me that everything was going to be alright. But, I shook my head.

"No," I muttered, looking up at him with a tear stained face, "it's not going to be alright, Grandpa. Nothing's going to be alright."

Grandpa looked at me with a confused expression adorning his face.

"What do you mean, Mikan?" He asked gently, as if he were almost afraid to ask.

"I…." I gulped, knowing I would have to tell him why I was so absolutely upset. "I broke up…. With Natsume…"

And I burst into a fit of tears and sobs.

**~Chapter 27 End~**

Wow, don't you just love sad and depressing endings? Hah, note the sarcasm. I am sooooo sorry for not updating until today! I'm a horrible person! D:

But at least I updated today! I've had a really busy week and everything is just going to get worse and worse! Grad is coming up and I have to get ready for the big events! I might just be singing the national anthem! Oh, gosh, I'm so excited! I just have to ask my music teacher if it's alright! :D

Well, thank you all for waiting for this chapter! And thank you for all the reviews and adding me to faves, alerts, and such! Thanks, even more, to those who have reviewed! :P

And those people are….

Suigintou

Chocola2711

MagicPanda

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

muzikchic4eva

anim3gurl

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Iris petals

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

I just have to say…. Your guys' reviews make me crack up! They're totally and utterly hilarious! I just love them all! You guys just…. Just give the greatest reactions to the sad parts of the story.

But, don't you worry! I won't keep this perfect couple from each other! :D

Oh, and just so you know, don't expect the sequel to Outside the Gates to come too soon. I'm sorry but I'll hold off other stories for a little while so everything in my life can settle down.

Anywho, thank you all! You are all the best readers a girl could ask for and I should update by Friday! See you then! :D

~xXPaintingRealityxX logging off! :D


	28. Chapter 28

Oh gosh, this weekend was crazy! I was looking for graduation dresses and I found the perfect one! Now, all that's left is the shoes! :P

And, and, I watched Kung Fu Panda 2! It was hilarious! I sensed some romance *wink wink* between Po and Tigress! :D

I swear that there might be another movie coming telling of how Po finds his parents and how he and Tigress become a couple! If you haven't watched it yet, sorry for prattling and you should really, REALLY watch it!

Well, enough of that said, let's get on with the show! :D

P.S. sorry for the late update….

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters! They belong to the brilliant Tachibana Higuchi! I only own this story plot and my randomly made up characters! Just like that airplane attendant! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(you know, last chappie was so depressing)

When I exited the gates, I immediately went to baggage claim and picked up my suit cases. I rolled them out of the airport and tried to look for my grandfather. I know what he looks like; he visited quite a few times when I was younger, when mom and dad were still alive.

I shook the thought off and continued my search. Then, I spotted him with his slightly tanned skin with a smile on his face, waving. I smiled back and weaved my way though the crowd toward him.

Each step I took felt like a weight had laid itself upon me. And when I got closer, I had the urge to cry and run to him. And that I did. I ran to him and once I was next to him, dropped my bags and tackled him with a hug, practically crying my eyes out.

He just sighed and rubbed my back soothingly in small circles. He whispered in my ear, telling me that everything was going to be alright. But, I shook my head.

"No," I muttered, looking up at him with a tear stained face, "it's not going to be alright, Grandpa. Nothing's going to be alright."

Grandpa looked at me with a confused expression adorning his face.

"What do you mean, Mikan?" He asked gently, as if he were almost afraid to ask.

"I…." I gulped, knowing I would have to tell him why I was so absolutely upset. "I broke up…. With Natsume…"

And I burst into a fit of tears and sobs.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 28~**

~Mikan's POV~

(A/N: Just to let you know, there is a time skip!)

As the fireworks burst, there was a huge wave of screams and yelps of happiness. All of that, and the voices of my friends I have accumulated over the years screaming "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKAN!"

I smiled at their joy, their kindness, and my Grandpa kissing me on the forehead. I looked up at his face as he smiled upon me. Helping me up and out of my chair, after blowing out the candles of course, he enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Happy birthday my dearest Mikan" he whispered.

"Thank you, Grandpa" I whispered back, hugging him.

He pulled away and beamed at me, still holding me by the shoulders.

"I remember when you first came to Kyoto! You were a wreck, crying on my shoulder!" Grandpa announced so that all of my friends in the room could hear.

There were chuckles from everyone as I blushed. Soon enough, they all quieted down and watched the two of us.

"But now look at you" Grandpa sighed proudly. "You've grown into such a beautiful young woman. You're 18 Mikan, and headed off to college soon!"

There were whoops and cheers from the crowd.

"Well, enough said. Who wants some cake?"

Everyone cheered and, like tradition, I cut the cake, but, ate the first piece as always. I beamed at my friends as they all gathered around me. Oh, and the thing when Grandpa said I'm off to college soon? Well, let's just say that I already graduated a few weeks ago. I'm actually pretty smart, you know?

Just then, Lulu, Aki, and Nao came up to me and wished me a happy birthday. I smiled and thanked them, of course. We all sat down together and started eating the cake, talking happily.

"So," Lulu started, "where are you going to college?"

Right as she said that, memories started coming back; the fun I had back then, the kisses I shared with… him.

"I'm… going to Gakuen Alice College" I stated, staring down at my cake. I'm not hungry anymore.

The trio looked at me with understanding. They didn't press on with the current conversation; just changed it.

Oh, and, just so you know, I told them everything. And by saying everything, I mean EVERYTHING. I told them about… him. About my old friends. I told them I still keep in contact with everyone. Except for him. I just, I feel so…. Horrible for doing that to him. I can't look at him, let alone talk to him, without feeling so horrible, so evil, that I did those things to him.

But he probably moved on. He probably is going out with another girl; another girl who is way better than me.

A small sob escaped my lips as I thought of this. I got concerned looks from my three friends, but they didn't ask. Yes, they know me that well. And, I'm thankful that they didn't press me. I'm lucky that all my friends, even the ones in Tokyo, understand my actions. Even though they were horrible, they still think about me as if I were an angel when really, I'm not. I love them so much.

If only I didn't mess everything up. If only I didn't hurt him. Maybe…. Maybe things will be better. Maybe I'd be happy. But if that happened, maybe he wouldn't be…

I was immediately snapped out of my thoughts when everyone started leaving. I made sure to send them off, waving bye and giving hugs. But my mind wasn't really into it. I was still thinking about back then; conjuring up 'what ifs'. And once everyone was gone, my Grandpa turned to me.

"Come help me clean up, Mikan." Grandpa said.

I nodded and helped, clearing the tables, washing the tables off, sweeping. You know, the usual stuff.

"So, what are you going to do when you get to Tokyo?" Grandpa asked.

"Well," I started, pushing in the chairs to one table, "I will go to my dorm and unpack and stuff. My things have already been delivered remember?"

"Yeah, well, after that." Grandpa said, stopping all movements and looking me in the eye.

I gulped. Well, there is one thing that I really want to do…

I looked to Grandpa with growing confidence. "I'll look for him. I want to see him again."

I sighed once more, looking at the airport that I first arrived here in. It created a painful string of memories that I've been pushing into the back of my head for a long time. I don't want to reminisce all these things right now. I don't want to have a break down in the plane just like before. It will be horrible.

Grandpa placed a hand onto my shoulder. I turned to face him, tears collecting in my eyes. Well, at least the goodbye is different.

"Mikan, I wish you luck" he told me.

I pulled Grandpa into a tight hug. "Thank you Grandpa. Thank you so much."

I fought the urge to cry when we pulled away from the embrace. I've grown so fond of Grandpa, so used of him being around that I am very sure that I will miss him.

"You've changed so much since the first day you came here" Grandpa started, looking as if he were about to cry. "You've grown to be so mature, so beautiful, so intelligent. I just want you to know that if things don't go right, you have a home here in Kyoto."

"YEAH!" a chorus of voices bounced off the airport walls.

I turned around and found all the friends that I have made over my years here at Kyoto. I smiled as tears streamed down my face.

"Thank you so much everyone!" I cried, getting a huge group hug from all of my friends.

There were about 20 people here. These were the people that I would hang out with on a daily basis. They know so much about me and my past. Wow, I am really going to miss them!

The announcer announced my flight and I took a deep breath. I said my final good byes and then, I made my way to the flight gates. My last thought while I sat on my seat was, _'I hope our plan works. And if everything goes as planned, maybe…. Maybe we can be together again.'_ With that, I fell asleep, putting all my hope and thoughts into Hotaru and the others… except for Natsume.(A/N: No, Natsume doesn't know the plan. He is the victim of the plan! So, don't worry, Natsume's not left out! :P)

~Natsume's POV~

I sighed. Tonight is the night that the gang and I are celebrating New Year's Eve and… in a few minutes, Mikan's Birthday.

I looked around at the party. It wasn't really that big; just all of our friends together celebrating another holiday….. and birthday.

My heart ached. It does that whenever I think of her. I still can't believe she did what Koizumi told her to do. But, I guess Koizumi made a pretty good point for Mikan to fall for it. And when I tried to call her, I didn't have her number. Ruka and the others wouldn't give me her number. They said that they 'don't have it'. Yeah right. I think they're just trying to keep it away from me.

Soon the New year's count down began. As everyone started screaming the numbers, I made my way outside, sitting down under the huge tree in my yard.

I sighed. It's been years since I've last seen Mikan. I haven't heard from her since. Ruka and the gang are acting suspicious. Whenever I asked them about Mikan, they would freak out and stutter nonsense. Then, Imai would come out of nowhere and shoot them in the head with her baka gun and walk off as if nothing happened. What the hell is all that supposed to mean? They're keeping a secret from me. And I know it has to do with Mikan. And I have to find out.

A few seconds later, fireworks colored the night sky. I sighed once more. I wonder if Mikan is looking at the sky this second. I wonder what she's doing. Will she ever come back? If she does, will she be mine again?

Gosh, everything is so confusing. It's all so annoying. I'm 18 now. Mikan just turned 18. It's been years since I've last seen her. Maybe she's changed. Maybe… maybe she really doesn't love me anymore. No. I shouldn't think like that. It's stupid, horrible, and it'll downright jinx me. Whatever. I don't want to think about this anymore.

I walked into my house again to see all of my friends huddled into a circle. They seemed to be having a heated discussion. Then, Imai saw me. She turned to the others, pointed at me, and then they all nodded. What the fuck?

Then, they disbanded and headed towards me. I raised an eyebrow at them, confused to what they may want. Once they reached me, I asked "What were you all talking about?"

"Oh, nothing! Hehe…." Ruka stated awkwardly.

Imai shook her head and sighed. I think I know exactly what she's thinking now: 'Way to go bunny boy'.

"Suuuure" I said sarcastically. "And I'm the Easter Bunny."

"Hey, that part is true because when we were- mph!" Koko started to say. I shut him up by covering his mouth.

"That was a billion years ago. Forget it" I said dangerously.

"I'm good" Koko replied grinning.

I glared at him but let it go anyways. He'll never leave it alone. I just know it. Stupid idiot.

"So, what were you doing outside?" Kitsu asked. "Thinking about someone?"

I blushed. Yes, I was thinking about Mikan. But I'm not going to tell him that. "No."

"Suuuuuure, and I'M the Easter Bunny!"

"Seriously," I sighed, "What were you guys talking about?"

"Seriously" Imai imitated me, "it was nothing."

"Then why were you pointing at me?"

"I wanted to show the rest of them what an idiot you looked like."

Silence. And then, Koko, Kitsu, Hiroshima, Tsubasa, Misaki, and, well, pretty much everyone else started laughing. Gosh, these guys are jerks. Imai's such a smart alec.

"Ha ha. Very funny" I said sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"I know I am" Imai said, smirking. Idiot.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" I asked.

"Nope" Imai popped the p sound.

I sighed and shook my head. "Whatever."

I have no idea where the others went. One second, we were all sitting on the grass in the park near the play structure and then the next second, they all disappeared. I don't know how they all were able to leave at once without me noticing. Maybe I was zoning out again. This is so weird. I sighed. I guess I can't do anything about it. I just wonder where the hell they went…

**~Chapter 28 End~**

Sorry for the late update! I was really busy these past weeks and I was never at home with free time! I had to look for a graduation dress with my parents and some heels (I wanted to try them out for the very first time) and jewelry. And there was so many graduation preparations (hey that rhymes!) and hard tests too! I just didn't have time! I'm so sorry! Well, I hope you all liked this chapter!

Thank you for all the reviews! The people who I would just love to thank are…

BlackCrimsonWings13

xIshaxx

Chocola2711

muzikchic4eva

Iris petals

Aquamarine Lacus

OoO-Ashee-OoO

anim3gurl

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

Msdgirl

Suigintou

MiSaNaHyu

xxxHazelxcriomsonxxx

Once again, thank you all! I'm the happiest person on Earth! :D

See you next time! :P

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :D


	29. Chapter 29

Don't you guys have a lot of questions. Well, to start this off, yes, this story is going to end soon. Sure! I'll make sure the last chapter of this story WILL BE Natsume's POV since I haven't written in his for a while. But, this chapter will be in Mikan's POV as well as Natsume's POV. You know, half and half? Yeah, that's it. I'm planning on two more chapters (the last being the epilogue). I will also keep those characters that were Mikan's friends from last chapter side characters. They were meant to be that way anyways. All other questions: You have to wait to find out! :P

Well, I hope that you enjoy! Now, on with the show! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters. They all belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi-sama! I only own the plot line and my randomly thought up characters! :D

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(Don't you just love this line? :D)

I have no idea where the others went. One second, we were all sitting on the grass in the park near the play structure and then the next second, they all disappeared. I don't know how they all were able to leave at once without me noticing. Maybe I was zoning out again. This is so weird. I sighed. I guess I can't do anything about it. I just wonder where the hell they went…

**Two Doors Down**

**~Chapter 29~**

~Mikan's POV~

I exited the airport in Tokyo. I haven't been here in a while. I mused of all the memories I had accumulated over the years. But once it got to Natsume, I felt the heartbreak I've been going through for years. I know it was all my fault, but I can't help but feel this way. I sighed and started my search.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you that I'm looking for someone. Actually, I'm looking for some people. And they should be around here somewh-

"Mikan!" I heard a few girlish screams before I was tackled to the ground.

I laughed as I hugged Anna, Nonoko, Permy, and Misaki-senpai back.

"You all look so different!" I gushed, smiling. "I missed you guys so much, you don't even know!"

"You should look at yourself Mikan" Ruka-pyon said.

"Yeah, you turned into some sexy beast!" Koko commented.

I couldn't help but laugh at his comment. I hugged everyone: Kitsu, Koko, Tsubasa-senpai, Misaki-senpai, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, Mochu, Permy Hotaru, Hiro, and Ruka-pyon. Even Youichi came! After we greeted each other, I looked around at everyone.

"So what's the drill?" I asked.

"You will wait at the designated area and we will bring the subject out to become more acquainted with you" Hotaru replied, smiling a bit.

I smiled back. "Okay. Thank you guys so much… this really does mean a lot to me."

Everyone else smiled back at me. "We only want the two of you happy" Anna and Nonoko chimed. I smiled once more, giving each one of them grateful looks.

"Okay then" I chirped, "let's get this plan started, shall we?"

After we headed to the college dorms and put all my stuff away, Hotaru dropped me off at the 'area of operation': the mall. I know, I know, it's a weird place. But we couldn't really come up with anything better! Sad, right?

Anyways, after Hotaru dropped me off, she headed off with the others to go get Natsume. I sat down at the benches near the front door, waiting for a bit. You know, I might as well walk around and look at a few places while I wait. I don't want to die of boredom, do I? Nah, not really. I texted Hotaru, saying that I would be walking around before they got here.

'No, keep walking around. I think it'll be more cliché if he finds you while walking around' Hotaru texted me.

'Why do you want it to be cliché? It's like some over rated Disney movie' I replied, giggling a bit.

'It's just that most things in your life are total clichés, just to let you know.'

I stared at the phone weirdly as if it were the one telling me all of this instead of Hotaru texting me. I shook my head and sighed, grinning. Hotaru is so weird.

'Yeah, have fun with that' I texted back, putting my phone away for good.

I continued to walk around. Really, I wasn't paying attention to anything as I did. I just spaced out practically the whole time, thinking about random things. Though, most of my thoughts had to do with what would happen when Natsume and I are reunited again. To make things easier, I'll just go ahead and give you an inside look.

I walked past shop after shop, wondering how our reunion would be like. What would he think? Would he just shun me away? Will he even talk to me; approach me? Will he even remember me?

My heart sunk at that thought. Will he remember me? I highly doubt it. Everyone keeps on telling me that he does, but, really? I highly doubt it. I mean, it's been, how many years, four? I highly doubt he'd even bother to remember the name of the girl who broke his heart. I'm such a jerk! I shouldn't have done that! I did the stupidest thing in the world!

Just as I was passing by Hollister, I spotted familiar strawberry blond hair; the kind that I have learned to resent. I backtracked and walked into the store, trying to get a closer look. When the girl turned around, it was definitely the person I didn't like, not one bit: Luna Koizumi. She was hanging out with a bunch of her 'friends'. But really, I know that they are not her friends. They are just girls who hang out with her to keep from getting teased and who want to be 'popular'. But really, they are making the worst mistake they could ever make for their schooling career.

I ducked behind a clothing rack as she turned my way. She was spouting out nonsense to her posse as she walked past the rack I was hiding behind.

"Okay girls" she said, "today is the day that I WILL get Natsume to be mine."

When she said that, I could feel my heart crack. Ouch, that hurt. I didn't like her confession, not at all. Hopefully, I can get to Natsume before she does.

I waited until she disappeared outside of the store to get out of my hiding spot. I stared off to where she disappeared. What the heck was that? She… maybe Natsume did move on. For Luna to have so much confidence in getting Natsume to be hers, then he must have moved on. Right?

I sighed depressingly and headed out of the store. After ten minutes of walking around, I heard loud, obnoxious squeals. I turned towards the sound and my heart almost jumped out of my chest. There, standing in all his hot yet irritated glory, was Natsume Hyuuga.

I swear I stared at him forever! I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I just…. He grew up. His hair was disheveled, as always, body well toned and very fine, but his eyes… they were duller than before. I felt a pang when I realized that I had done that to him. I caused the light in his eyes to die out. Wow, I feel like crap.

What made me feel even crappier was when Luna practically threw herself at Natsume and latched onto him tight. Once that happened, I turned away and tried to make my way AWAY from them.

It hurt. It _hurt._ I saw him again, and the only thing it did to me, was hurt me. And it's all my fault.

~Natsume's POV~

I tried not to barf when Koizumi practically threw herself at me from the crowd of crazy fan girls surrounding me. I scowled down at her, trying to push her off of me. Damn, this moron has a strong grip. I huffed and looked up over the crowd, trying to find anyone to help me.

Now, you may be wondering why I am out here in a mall full of rabid, hormone controlled girls that just love to jump me. Well, actually, the huge group of people that I like to call 'friends' dragged me here and then just suddenly disappeared all together. And by all together, I mean that they snuck off at the same time. I mean, how the hell do they do that? It shouldn't even be possible for me to loose that many people at once. But, evidently, I'm a master at it.

Whatever. I huffed, finally giving up on trying to find someone. I was just about to turn my attention back to Koizumi to tell her off when a flash of familiar light brown hair caught my eyes. I quickly looked towards the object and saw…. A girl. And this girl looked really familiar. Pale skin, light brown hair that curls at the ends, goddess like body with all the perfect curls, creamy long legs… I only know one girl whom I ever thought to be the most beautiful girl in the world.

_Mikan._

With my new found strength, I pushed Koizumi away and made my way through the crowd, trying to catch up with the girl. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Hey, is that even normal? I didn't have the conscience to even think about that. I just wanted to catch up with that girl and see if it were Mikan. And if it was… then what was I going to do?

I stopped in my tracks, staring at her retreating figure. If it were Mikan, then what would I do? I mean, she _had_ broken up with me. But she was under the influence of Koizumi, right? Well, maybe she moved on… What the hell was she doing here though? Was she going to school here in Tokyo? But, the only well known college here is the one where I'm going: Gakuen Alice College. Is she going there?

My thoughts were cut off when Koizumi ran into me. "Natsumeeee! Why did you leave?"

"Go away" I growled, pushing her away.

All the hesitant thoughts I had before, all the worried thoughts I had, I erased it all and just followed the girl who looked mysteriously like Mikan, trying to catch up with her. She had actually made quite a good amount of distance between the two of us during the time I had stopped walking. I almost lost her. I found her after some mindless walking and randomly asking people if they saw a girl like her. I spotted her going to the entrance and I ran towards her.

As she disappeared behind the door, a huge group of middle schoolers came in, laughing and acting really rude (A/N: LOL. Some of my friends are really rude…). I wasn't able to get out until a minute or two later of waiting for them to move. I rushed outside, looking both ways for the girl.

I spotted her walking down the sidewalk and rounding a corner. I silently thanked God that I came out when I did. 'Cause if I didn't, well, she would have already disappeared when I followed her.

I ran towards her, dodging random walkers, joggers, the works. I could feel my heart beat quickening. It wasn't only from the cardiac exercises though. It was from anticipation. I was anticipating to see her, hoping that it really was Mikan. And that's when I knew that I need to see Mikan again. I need to see her now, because if I don't, I might just go crazy.

The girl walked into a park and sat on the swings, her back facing me. I haven't seen her face yet. And if I didn't, I'm pretty sure the suspense would kill me! This was some crazy crap! I slowed my pace down, stopping to catch my breath. After all, I had been running around. I stood up and tried to look and feel as confident as I could as I walked towards the girl. When I reached her, I took a silent deep breath and placed a hand on her shoulder. Electricity shot through me. I felt her tense as I did this. And then, she turned around to look back.

My breath caught when I saw her beautiful face; the face of an angel. It was completely flawless; it was Mikan's face.

"Mikan…" I breathed, looking down at the girl in bewilderment.

Her eyes grew wide as she saw me. I swear that I saw something in her eyes, like a certain light. But then, it just completely vanished.

We just stayed there, staring at each other. None of us moved. None of us made a sound. But, I couldn't bare the silence for that long. I think I would die if she didn't speak to me.

"Mikan," I started, walking around so that she was facing me, "is that you?"

I noticed her eyes had gone back to normal but she was still staring at me as if I were some weird creature from another universe.

"Y-yeah" her voice was like a bell even though she had stuttered. She sounded music like, looked more beautiful.

I raised my hand that was on her shoulder to her cheek, feeling her skin. It was softer that before. She had definitely grown up since the last time I saw her. She was even more beautiful than back then and I learned just how much I missed her. I missed her so much, that I felt as if I would have died without her. I felt like shit. I felt like I was worthless. I felt that nothing mattered in the world except for her. I wished that she was back in my arms, but she wasn't. I missed everything about her. I missed her. _I missed her._

Mikan looked down, suddenly avoiding my eyes. I frowned. Oh yeah, that's right; she broke up with me. She probably….probably moved on. I pulled my hand away and heaved a sigh as I sat down on the swing next to her. I didn't take my eyes off of her. I just stared, trying to make her talk to me. I thought, maybe if I stare at her, it'll make her talk to me. That's pretty much the closest thing to getting her to talk that I have.

I noticed her getting kind of uncomfortable with my staring. So, to ease her tensions, I decided to break the silence myself.

"Mikan, I-"

"Natsume," Mikan cut me off. I instantly shut my trap, listening to her words. "Have you moved on?"

I stared at her like she fell from outer space. "What?"

I obviously knew what she was talking about, but I didn't see why she had asked that. But, I know that this is my chance to let her know how I felt, how I still feel.

I stood up and grabbed Mikan's hand, dragging her towards the place the two of us would always hang out: the Sakura tree. It didn't take that long. Well, at least to me it didn't. I guess I was just occupied in my mind. I stood in front of Mikan, her back to the Sakura tree. She didn't meet my eyes and it was killing me. Why was she doing this? Did she really hate me that much?

I lifted her chin with my index finger, prompting her to look into my eyes. And lucky for me, she did. I don't know how long I looked into her alluring eyes, but I didn't pay attention to time as I started my little thought up 'speech'.

"Mikan," I said, "I never got over you."

She stared at me wide eyed. I guess she didn't think that I would get straight to the point.

"I always thought about you, remembered the times we shared, wished you were here. I always missed you" I said, saying everything with the most sincerity I had. "I never got over you. And I still want you. I want you back and I miss the way we had been back then."

I felt close to tears, feeling the water collecting in my eyes as I stared down at her. "…Please Mikan, I need you back. Please take me back."

Whoa, I sounded very desperate. But with me crying in front of the girl I loved for years and still love now, I really am desperate to have her back. I'm begging her to take me back. Yeah, I never thought that the day would come that I would beg a girl to stay with me. But, this is Mikan we're talking about. If I didn't beg, I would be crazy.

Mikan looked like she was about to cry. So, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. I smelt the scent of her shampoo: strawberry. Just like before. "…Please…" I whispered into her ear.

Mikan wrapped her petite arms around my waist and choked out a sob. I just held onto her tighter. She buried her face in the crook of my neck and cried. And I cried with her. The both of us cried in each others arms for a while, trying to settle down and calm our emotions. Then, Mikan pulled away.

She gave me a bright, happy smile; the smile that I grew to love and miss. She moved her hands around my neck and pulled me in close to her, surprising the shit out of me.

"Natsume, I hope you can forgive me" her voice was shaky from crying, but still was as perfect and bell like as ever.

I smiled at her. "I will always forgive you."

And with that, she pulled me down closer to her, giving me a gentle kiss. But as she pulled away, I only pulled her in more, kissing her more fiercely. I missed her so much; I couldn't get enough of her. Our tongues danced as the kiss intensified. And a few minutes later, we were panting and out of breath, blushing a deep red from a heated make out session. I looked Mikan in the eyes, loving the sight of her.

"Don't leave me ever again" I whispered, trailing soft kisses up her jaw.

"I'll never leave you" she whispered back, shivering.

And with that, I swept her into another kiss.

**~Chapter 29 End~**

So it's finished! I have a perfectly good reason for not updating: Graduation week! It was totally crazy this and last week with all the preparations and last minute tests and stuff. Well, I hope you all liked this chapter! I make sure that I like it so that I'm sure that my readers will! If that makes sense, I'm glad! :D But if it doesn't, please just go with it… :P

Well, I want to thank all those who have reviewed for the last chapter! And those people are…

BlackCrimsonWings13

Rinchan24

sEcretmNdLoLITA

DeadlySilentAnimeLover

musikchic4eva

Suigintou

Iris Petals

anim3gurl

MiSaNaHyu

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

Amai Youkaiko

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Once again! Thank you all! And thank you all for adding me to your favorites/alerts and stuff! I really do appreciate it! And I hope this chapter answered some questions! Well, I have to go now since I'm pretty tired. *yawn* Oyasumi minna-san (goodnight everyone)!

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :P


	30. Chapter 30

And here we are with another chapter… Can't wait! :P Oh, and when I said two more chapters last time, the last one counted as one chapter! So really, yeah this is the last chapter and Epilogue! :P

And, yes, it's in Natsume's POV! Yay! :D

So, I hope you all enjoy and I hope you all aren't disappointed with the ending!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, nor do I own its characters! They all belong to Tachibana Higuchi! I only own the plot and the randomly made up characters!

**Last time on Two Doors Down**

(fluffiness!)

"Natsume, I hope you can forgive me" her voice was shaky from crying, but still was as perfect and bell like as ever.

I smiled at her. "I will always forgive you."

And with that, she pulled me down closer to her, giving me a gentle kiss. But as she pulled away, I only pulled her in more, kissing her more fiercely. I missed her so much; I couldn't get enough of her. Our tongues danced as the kiss intensified. And a few minutes later, we were panting and out of breath, blushing a deep red from a heated make out session. I looked Mikan in the eyes, loving the sight of her.

"Don't leave me ever again" I whispered, trailing soft kisses up her jaw.

"I'll never leave you" she whispered back, shivering.

And with that, I swept her into another kiss.

**Two Doors Down**

**~Epilogue~**

~Natsume's POV~

Ever since that day, the day when Mikan came back to me, I sort of… made sure she wouldn't leave. You must be wondering how, right? Well… yeah it's a special way…

Every day, I'd see her at school and spend time with her. I always, ALWAYS, ate lunch with her and I made sure to celebrate monthly anniversaries. Extreme, right? I know. I just don't want to let her get away this time. But I'm not the only one working to keep us together. Mikan seems really attached to me, calling me every day before we go to sleep, not complaining to me even if I do something even I think is utterly perverted, and engaging kiss battles whenever she sees me staring at her lips.

On weekends, we would spend some time at movies, out to dinner, play at the park (even though we're college kids), and sit underneath our Sakura tree, watching the sunsets. Maybe we'd do all of it in one day. But, every second, I feel great. I truly do love it when we spend time together and I really never want our moments to end.

So, to tell her that, I'm going to take the next step today. I'm going to propose. We are going to graduate from college today and proposing would add another special thing to the occasion. It'll make her even happier. And seeing her happy is the best thing in the world.

I changed into my suit, a classic black and white with a crimson red tie instead of black, and some dress shoes. I walked over to my bedside table and picked up the suede blue box and opened it up. There, sitting comfortably on the cushion, was a gold ring with a pink amethyst with a smaller, red ruby on each side. Making sure that it was perfectly polished and safe, I put the ring in my pocket and headed out towards Gakuen Alice College.

There was cheering everywhere as all of us graduates flung our hats into the air. The graduation ceremony was over and I still haven't seen Mikan! Well, I have, but that was only when she walked onto stage to get her diploma (in which I had yelled really loud for her) and when she had said the valedictorian speech (which I had also cheered). Other than that, nope, I haven't seen her.

As people filed out of the giant auditorium and other peers of mine took pictures with their friends and family, I looked around for Mikan. I scanned the room and finally, I noticed the familiar luscious, light brown hair that always feels so silky whenever I run my fingers through them.

"You can do this Natsume" Dad said, clamping a hand on my shoulder.

I gave him an appreciative smile as my mom and Misaki gave me a 'good luck' hug.

"Go get her" Misaki whispered into my ear and I nodded.

Instantly, I started to run towards Mikan. I passed by some of my friends, taking pictures occasionally. But once they were finished, I started off towards Mikan, who got farther and farther away from me by the second. She was surrounded by family and friends. And they were all leading her out of the auditorium. I noticed that she was looking for someone. And I couldn't help but feel sure and proud enough that she was looking for me.

By the time I actually reached her, we were outside and she was heading to the after party with Anna, Nonoko, Imai… you know, them. All of the girls that she usually hung out with; the girls in our group. Just as they were going to enter the party place, I stopped them and ran up to Mikan.

She gave me a sunny smile and hugged me fiercely, laughing and exclaiming, "We graduated! Can you believe it?"

I looked back down at her and answered, "Yeah, we did."

Then, I looked at the others and smiled. "I'm going to have to steal her from you for a while" I told them.

Nonoko and Anna smiled whilst Imai smirked and Permy answered "Take all the time you need."

I gave them a nervous smile and nodded, grabbing Mikan's hand and leading her down the street. I pulled her towards the park that we usually would hang out at together and to the Sakura tree.

"Wow, Natsume, look at the moon! It's huge!" Mikan commented, gawking at the evening sky.

Indeed, the moon was very close and not only that, but the stars were shining brightly. It set a certain air; the type girls would call 'romantic'. And _that_ is what I was aiming for.

I turned towards her and gulped nervously. I have absolutely no idea how I will do this. Yes, I have practiced this quite a few times. But, I just… forgot everything that I had planned to say. My mind went blank when I looked at Mikan from under the starlight. She's just too damn sexy!

Mikan was wearing a strapless dress. On top, it was black and just below her chest, it turned to a beautiful robin egg bluish-greenish color with black and silver lace creating flowery designs. She wore black strappy heels and silver earrings and bracelet. She had light make up on, make up consisting of silver and black eye shadow, a light blush and light pink lip gloss. Her hair was curled and there was a silver flower hair band placed perfectly in her hair.

I gulped a bit before I breathed in, trying to gain some courage to do what I was hoping to do.

"Mikan," I started, wrapping my arms around her waist and turning her towards me. She gave me a beautiful smile in return and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Did you hear me cheering?"

She laughed her beautiful, bell like laugh. "You were definitely the loudest!"

"That's what I was hoping" I grinned back, chuckling along with her.

When she stopped laughing, I brushed some of the hair that got loose behind her ear, cupping her cheek afterwards. We stared deep into each others' eyes for a while. I have no idea how long. I'm not paying any attention to time right now; only her.

"Mikan" I started in a whisper, "you look so beautiful."

Mikan blushed at my statement. She was about to say something but I placed a finger over her lips. Then, I went on with my just-now-made-up speech.

"You're amazing. You're the smartest, the kindest person I've ever met. I never, _ever_, want to leave your side. I want to stay with you forever. If you ever left me, I would surely die. And I want to make sure that you never leave me." I let Mikan go and got down on one knee, bringing out the blue suede box in my pocket. I heard Mikan gasp as I did so. I looked back up to her and into her eyes. "Mikan, never leave my side again; make me yours as well as you to be mine. Mikan, will you marry me?"

Mikan was smiling, tears cascading down her soft cheeks as I opened up the box to show her the ring. "Yes" she whispered. And louder this time, she said "Of course, a million time yes!"

She threw her arms around my neck, crying, laughing, and kissing me at the same time. I slipped the ring onto her finger, smiling into the kiss. I noticed the 'aww's and the 'how sweet's there were around us and pulled away. There, surrounding the two of us was the whole graduating class of our school, cheering and cooing for the two of us.

I fought the blush trying to make its way to my cheeks and looked at Mikan to see her blushing madly. I chuckled a bit when I saw her and she gave me a questioning look.

"I messed up your make up" I told her, wiping my fingers wherever there was a smudge on it, fixing her up.

"And your wearing my make up" Mikan giggled, doing the same for me.

"Now," started, standing up and helping Mikan up, "shall we go to the party?"

"Yes, we shall" Mikan replied, linking her arm with my upraised one.

Everyone cheered (much to the corniness of this scene), and we all headed off to the after party.

Mikan gracefully made her way down the carpeted isle towards me. I was in my wedding tux (black and white with a golden tie), and she was wearing her beautiful wedding gown.

This morning, I had woken up alone as well as have fallen asleep the night before. I was unable to see her for two days because of some 'bridal shower' stuff and 'not-being-able-to-see-the-bride-for-it-will-cause-bad-luck' things as well. And I missed her. I couldn't wait until I could hold her, touch her again. And once we get to our honeymoon, she better be prepared for what I plan for her. Heh.

Anyways, present time, Mikan looks even more beautiful than she ever has been (which is saying something because she is the most beautiful woman in the universe). I wasn't able to see her face because of the long, white veil covering her face. It was linked up to a beautiful, white rose laurel that was placed carefully on her head. I could tell her hair was wavy and pulled into a half ponytail hair-do.

Her dress, well, to put it simply, looked utterly amazing on her. It suits her perfectly! Of course, the dress was a perfect white. It was strapless and it hugs her curves on the top. When it gets to her waist, it flows out. The part near her waist has a few ruffles. The more down it goes, the more spread apart the ruffles were. Around her waist was a beautiful, golden colored ribbon that tied into a bow on the front, left side of her dress. The dress went all the way to the floor and it looked perfect on her.

I stared as she walked ever so gracefully, nodding to people as they all adored her. I noticed people staring at me, but I paid no attention to them; I just looked at her: Mikan Sakura. And soon, she'd be my wife: Mikan Sakura Hyuuga. I smiled at that thought and in excitement as she got to my side and held my outstretched hand.

"We are gathered here today…" the priest started. I didn't pay attention to any of it. I was too busy staring into Mikan's eyes.

The whole time, we just stared at each other, and on our queues to speak, we did. I don't know how we knew, but we just did. And when the priest told those who objected with our marriage to speak now, I rejoiced in the silence that followed. Yes, Koizumi wasn't here. We got a restraining order.

We finished up the rest of the procedure and exchanged rings. And then, the priest announced my favorite part: "you may now kiss the bride". Instantly, I leaned down and brought my lips to Mikan's giving her the first kiss of our life together as husband and wife.

I paid no attention to those who were clapping in the audience. And while we were having the party afterwards, I paid no attention to anything else but her. I couldn't take my eyes off of the beauty. I can't believe how lucky I am to have a girl like her. And I can't wait to live the rest of my life with her.

We just got sent off to our honeymoon and are now in the hotel we will stay in. And remember what I said earlier during the wedding of what I had planned for her? Well, it's time to initiate that plan.

The two of us fell onto the bed, kissing passionately. I pulled away so that the both of us could get some air and I looked into her eyes.

"I love you, Mikan" I told her, trailing kisses down her neck.

"I love you too, Natsume" she whispered back, shivering as I slowly undid the ribbon on her waist.

I brought her back into another kiss as the night ensued, continuing on with our antics.

**~End~**

Oh yeah! It's done! After thirty chapters, this story is over! Well, I hope all of you liked this story! I thank all the people who have supported me throughout the timeline of this story! Thanks to those who reviewed! Those people are…

MiSaNaHyu

sEcretmiNdLoLITA

musikchic4eva

OoO-Ashee-OoO

Rinchan24

Suigintou

xxxHazelxCrimsonxxx

XxpuffpuffxX

I'm glad all of you liked it! And, all those who have been reading this and haven't reviewed for the whole time, please use this last chapter to review for at least! Thank you all for all the support and I hope that all of you read my other stories in the future! :P

~xXPaintingRealityXx logging off! :P


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